State suspends Whatcom nurse’s license for sexual, romantic relationship with patient
The state has suspended the license of a Whatcom County registered nurse for at least 18 months for having a romantic and sexual relationship with a patient, the Washington Department of Health announced on Tuesday, March 30.
Mary Elizabeth Hancock signed an agreement with the state on Feb. 11 in which she agreed to the suspension as well as other disciplinary actions, according to state records online.
Her suspension was related to her time working at a medical center in Bellingham, where she provided nursing care to someone identified in state documents only as Patient A, who was receiving psychiatric and medical care there. She cared for the patient about four times, including on May 14, 2019.
The name of the facility wasn’t listed in the online documents.
Hancock had a social and sexual relationship with the patient around June and July of 2019. In January 2020, she began a romantic dating relationship with the patient, according to state documents.
She can’t petition the state to get her credential back for at least 18 months. Before it can be reinstated, Hancock must complete a course on professional boundaries and ethics and pay a $1,000 fine.
After she gets her license back, she faces probation for at least 12 months as part of the state’s disciplinary action for “unprofessional conduct involving sexual misconduct,” according to state documents.
