Olympia nursing assistant took nude photos of patient and shared them, state says
A former Olympia nursing assistant has been charged with unprofessional conduct for allegedly taking nude photos of a patient.
The Washington State Department of Health took disciplinary actions against Diane Cecilia Fruean, Credential No. NA61126437, on Feb. 2, according to a charging document. The state announced the action in a Monday news release.
An unnamed Olympia facility fired Fruean on May 27, 2022, after an internal investigation found she took full frontal nude photos of a patient and shared them with her sister, per the document.
The alleged incident occurred three days prior to her termination. According to the document, a coworker reportedly observed the photos in Fruean’s text message history. In July 2022, the document says Fruean allegedly admitted to taking a photo of the patient.
The state also accused of Fruean of sexual misconduct as well as violating standards of practice and competencies for nursing assistants. The charging document was signed by U. James Chaney, executive director of the Nursing Assistant Program.
This incident also has been referred to Adult Protective Services, which is part of the state Department of Social and Health Services, and the Olympia Police Department.
Those charged with unprofessional conduct have 20 days to respond to DOH in writing, according to the release. From there, a hearing will be held if no disciplinary agreement can be reached.
Fruean’s credential expired on Nov. 16, 2022, and has not been renewed, per the DOH website. It was first issued on Dec. 1, 2020.
No additional case documents were immediately available for this case. The website still listed enforcement action as pending as of Thursday.
