Iowa's Board of Nursing has suspended the license of a nurse accused of stabbing a man in the head and borrowing bail money from a patient. (Photo courtesy of the Iowa Board of Nursing)

The Iowa Board of Nursing has suspended the license of a nurse who allegedly stabbed a man in the head in November 2020 and then borrowed bail money from a patient’s spouse.

According to court documents and board records, Alicia Schoolcraft, 35, of Mystic, was working as a home health nurse for Iowa Home Care in November 2020 when she was arrested in connection with a domestic disturbance.

Police records indicate Schoolcraft and her boyfriend, Zach Garner, had been in a physical altercation resulting in serious injury to Garner, who had a large laceration on the back of his head. The police report indicated Schoolcraft and Garner were in a verbal argument when she went to the kitchen, retrieved a large knife, and “proceeded to stab/puncture the victim on the top of his head, near his left shoulder blade, and also caused a laceration on his right hand.”

Police officers also noted that Schoolcraft was unbalanced and had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Empty alcohol containers and blood were seen throughout the residence.

Schoolcraft was arrested for felony willful injury and misdemeanor domestic abuse assault. She was placed in the Wapello County Jail, where she called the wife of one of her home-care patients and asked for a $500 loan to be used as bail money so she could be released from jail, according to the board.

State records indicate Iowa Home Care fired Schoolcraft on Nov. 19, 2020, for violating the company’s ethics policy.

Last October, the Iowa Board of Nursing filed a statement of charges against Schoolcraft. Although the board’s statements of charges are considered public documents, the board never posted that document to its website, so it’s not clear what the charges entailed.

However, the board’s more recent final decision in the case has been made public, and it indicates the board’s charges were tied not to the stabbing, but to the bail-money request, resulting in a single charge of soliciting, borrowing, or misappropriating money or property from a patient.

At a board hearing in January, Schoolcraft stated that she was highly intoxicated on the night of the incident and was not thinking clearly when she asked her patient’s wife for bail money. According to the board, she also admitted suffering from alcoholism and an addiction to pain pills, adding that she had been sober for one year.

Recently, the board published a notice of its April 2022 decision ordering that Schoolcraft’s license be indefinitely suspended until she provides verification of completing comprehensive substance abuse and mental health evaluations and completes 15 hours of education on ethics and professionalism.

If Schoolcraft’s substance abuse evaluation does not result in a recommendation for treatment, her license will be automatically reinstated. Upon reinstatement, Schoolcraft’s license shall be placed on probation for a period of 12 months, during which time she will submit to a chemical screening program and several other board-imposed requirements.

Schoolcraft’s criminal case is still pending, with the court having so far issued seven orders for continuance. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Aug. 17. She faces up to five years in prison if convicted of the willful injury charge.

In other matters, the Board of Nursing recently published notice of additional disciplinary actions against several other Iowa licensees, including:

Joshua Spiewak of Urbandale: In April 2021, the board charged Spiewak with possession of a controlled substance after he was arrested for possession of methamphetamine. The criminal charge was later dismissed after Spiewak completed an educational course on substance abuse. With the licensing charge still pending, Spiewak allegedly admitted having used methamphetamine once or twice per week. A board hearing on the matter was held in July 2021, at which Spiewak failed to appear. In September 2021, the board opted to let Spiewak keep his license, subject to two years of probation. Spiewak recently surrendered his license “as an alternative to compliance” with the board’s probationary order, which had required him to submit to chemical screenings and evaluations. Spiewak can apply for reinstatement of his license in April 2023.

Veronica Park of Council Bluffs: In May, the board charged Parks with exceeding the limits on her scope of practice. She was accused of practicing intravenous-line insertions on an acquaintance outside of a clinical or training setting, and then posting photos of it on her social media accounts in April 2021. Parks has agreed to a settlement that requires her to complete 30 hours of education on critical thinking.

Catherine Crockett of Hiawatha: In May, the board charged Crockett with exceeding the limits on her scope of practice. The board alleged that at some point in the past, Crockett was working at an “emergency hospital” – the board did not name the hospital – when she became ill and made an unauthorized request for intravenous fluids, which she then received. Crockett has agreed to a settlement that requires her to complete 30 hours of education on critical thinking.

Rebecca Collins of Stronghurst, Illinois: The board alleges that in June 2021, Collins submitted to a pre-employment drug screening that showed positive results for unprescribed marijuana and hydrocodone. The board recently agreed to issue Collins a warning that any future violations could result in disciplinary action.

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 18, 2022

by Clark Kauffman, Iowa Capital Dispatch July 18, 2022

The Iowa Board of Nursing has suspended the license of a nurse who allegedly stabbed a man in the head in November 2020 and then borrowed bail money from a patient’s spouse.

According to court documents and board records, Alicia Schoolcraft, 35, of Mystic, was working as a home health nurse for Iowa Home Care in November 2020 when she was arrested in connection with a domestic disturbance.

Police records indicate Schoolcraft and her boyfriend, Zach Garner, had been in a physical altercation resulting in serious injury to Garner, who had a large laceration on the back of his head. The police report indicated Schoolcraft and Garner were in a verbal argument when she went to the kitchen, retrieved a large knife, and “proceeded to stab/puncture the victim on the top of his head, near his left shoulder blade, and also caused a laceration on his right hand.”

Police officers also noted that Schoolcraft was unbalanced and had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol on her breath. Empty alcohol containers and blood were seen throughout the residence.

Schoolcraft was arrested for felony willful injury and misdemeanor domestic abuse assault. She was placed in the Wapello County Jail, where she called the wife of one of her home-care patients and asked for a $500 loan to be used as bail money so she could be released from jail, according to the board.

State records indicate Iowa Home Care fired Schoolcraft on Nov. 19, 2020, for violating the company’s ethics policy.

Last October, the Iowa Board of Nursing filed a statement of charges against Schoolcraft. Although the board’s statements of charges are considered public documents, the board never posted that document to its website, so it’s not clear what the charges entailed.

However, the board’s more recent final decision in the case has been made public, and it indicates the board’s charges were tied not to the stabbing, but to the bail-money request, resulting in a single charge of soliciting, borrowing, or misappropriating money or property from a patient.

At a board hearing in January, Schoolcraft stated that she was highly intoxicated on the night of the incident and was not thinking clearly when she asked her patient’s wife for bail money. According to the board, she also admitted suffering from alcoholism and an addiction to pain pills, adding that she had been sober for one year.

Recently, the board published a notice of its April 2022 decision ordering that Schoolcraft’s license be indefinitely suspended until she provides verification of completing comprehensive substance abuse and mental health evaluations and completes 15 hours of education on ethics and professionalism.

If Schoolcraft’s substance abuse evaluation does not result in a recommendation for treatment, her license will be automatically reinstated. Upon reinstatement, Schoolcraft’s license shall be placed on probation for a period of 12 months, during which time she will submit to a chemical screening program and several other board-imposed requirements.

Schoolcraft’s criminal case is still pending, with the court having so far issued seven orders for continuance. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Aug. 17. She faces up to five years in prison if convicted of the willful injury charge.

In other matters, the Board of Nursing recently published notice of additional disciplinary actions against several other Iowa licensees, including:

Joshua Spiewak of Urbandale: In April 2021, the board charged Spiewak with possession of a controlled substance after he was arrested for possession of methamphetamine. The criminal charge was later dismissed after Spiewak completed an educational course on substance abuse. With the licensing charge still pending, Spiewak allegedly admitted having used methamphetamine once or twice per week. A board hearing on the matter was held in July 2021, at which Spiewak failed to appear. In September 2021, the board opted to let Spiewak keep his license, subject to two years of probation. Spiewak recently surrendered his license “as an alternative to compliance” with the board’s probationary order, which had required him to submit to chemical screenings and evaluations. Spiewak can apply for reinstatement of his license in April 2023.

Veronica Park of Council Bluffs: In May, the board charged Parks with exceeding the limits on her scope of practice. She was accused of practicing intravenous-line insertions on an acquaintance outside of a clinical or training setting, and then posting photos of it on her social media accounts in April 2021. Parks has agreed to a settlement that requires her to complete 30 hours of education on critical thinking.

Catherine Crockett of Hiawatha: In May, the board charged Crockett with exceeding the limits on her scope of practice. The board alleged that at some point in the past, Crockett was working at an “emergency hospital” – the board did not name the hospital – when she became ill and made an unauthorized request for intravenous fluids, which she then received. Crockett has agreed to a settlement that requires her to complete 30 hours of education on critical thinking.

Rebecca Collins of Stronghurst, Illinois: The board alleges that in June 2021, Collins submitted to a pre-employment drug screening that showed positive results for unprescribed marijuana and hydrocodone. The board recently agreed to issue Collins a warning that any future violations could result in disciplinary action.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.

Deputy Editor Clark Kauffman has worked during the past 30 years as both an investigative reporter and editorial writer at two of Iowa’s largest newspapers, the Des Moines Register and the Quad-City Times. He has won numerous state and national awards for reporting and editorial writing. His 2004 series on prosecutorial misconduct in Iowa was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. From October 2018 through November 2019, Kauffman was an assistant ombudsman for the Iowa Office of Ombudsman, an agency that investigates citizens’ complaints of wrongdoing within state and local government agencies.

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Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site.