Nursing Assistant Suspended After Becoming Beneficiary of Patient’s IRA
GoLocalProv News Team
Nursing Assistant Suspended After Becoming Beneficiary of Patient’s IRA
According to RIDOH documents, the enforcement action took place after investigating a complaint, charging "respondent" Christina Goncalves Depina with unprofessional conduct.
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RIDOH states:
At all relevant times, Respondent was employed as a nursing assistant with Visiting Angels of Rhode Island.
While employed as a nursing assistant, Respondent permitted a patient in her care ("Patient A") to designate Respondent as a beneficiary of Patient A's Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
- Respondent also administered morphine to Patient A on multiple occasions.
- As a licensed nursing assistant, Respondent was not licensed or trained to administer morphine, a controlled substance.
- Respondent has stated that Patient A asked her to be an IRA beneficiary, and that
- Respondent intended for her designation as Patient A's IRA beneficiary to be temporary.
- Respondent has also stated that Patient A was too weak to administer the morphine.
Conditions for Reinstatement:
Pursuant to the consent decree between Depina and RIDOH:
Respondent's License will remain suspended, and she will not be eligible for reinstatement of her License unless and until she demonstrates that she has satisfactorily completed the following two courses:
(1) Personal Care of Patients for CNAs and HHAs, information and registration available at: https:// ceufast. com/ course/personal-care-of-patients-for-cnas-and-hhas; and
(2) Professional Boundaries for the CNA, information and registration available at: https://ceufast.com/course/professional-boundaries-for-the-cna.
As conditions to reinstatement:
When Respondent has completed the six ( 6) month suspension of her License and the conditions, Respondent's nursing assistant License will be reinstated, subject to a one (1) year period of probation, under the following terms and conditions:
Respondent must work as a nursing assistant at a hospital or nursing facility with direct supervision for a period of twelve (12) months. Respondent may not work as a nursing assistant in a private home or anywhere without direct supervision.
Respondent's license status shall be listed as "Administrative Inactive" until Respondent provides RIDOH with documentation from a hospital or nursing facility stating that the hospital or facility employs or intends to employ Respondent as a nursing assistant. Upon receipt of this documentation from Respondent or the hospital or facility, Respondent's licensing status will be changed to "Active Probation."
If Respondent changes jobs during her probationary period, Respondent must provide RIDOH with the name of the new hospital or nursing facility where she is employed within two weeks of starting employment.
The consent decree was finalized on October 1, 2025.