Iowa Nursing Home Worker Surrenders License After Stealing Residents' Painkillers

Tanya Lynn Jordan pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and two years of probation.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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An Iowa nursing home worker named Tanya Lynn Jordan has agreed to surrender her nursing license after being criminally charged with stealing residents' opioid painkillers, including hydrocodone pills, and taking them for herself instead of administering them to patients as she had indicated in the medical records. Jordan worked at the Crestview Specialty Care nursing home in West Branch, Iowa from February 2024 through April 2024.

Why it matters

This case highlights the serious issue of drug diversion and abuse within healthcare settings, where vulnerable patients can be put at risk when staff members steal their prescribed medications. It also raises concerns about oversight and accountability in nursing homes to prevent such incidents from occurring.

The details

According to the Iowa Board of Nursing, Jordan signed out patients' opioid painkillers and then took them for herself instead of administering them to the residents as required. After being criminally charged with felony prohibited acts involving controlled substances and tampering with records, Jordan pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor records charge and was sentenced to 10 days in jail and two years of probation. The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing also concluded that Jordan had committed dependent adult abuse while employed at Crestview Specialty Care.

  • Jordan worked at the Crestview Specialty Care nursing home from February 2024 through April 2024.
  • Jordan was criminally charged in 2024.
  • Jordan pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2024.
  • The Iowa Board of Nursing charged Jordan and suspended her license in September 2025.
  • Jordan agreed to surrender her nursing license in 2026.

The players

Tanya Lynn Jordan

A former nursing home worker who was criminally charged with stealing residents' opioid painkillers and taking them for herself instead of administering them to patients as required.

Crestview Specialty Care

The nursing home in West Branch, Iowa where Jordan was employed and allegedly stole residents' medications.

Iowa Board of Nursing

The state regulatory agency that charged Jordan with misappropriating patient medications, committing an act that might adversely affect a patient's welfare, falsifying patient records, and being convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the nursing profession, and suspended her license.

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What’s next

The Iowa Board of Nursing has agreed that Jordan will be eligible to apply for reinstatement of her nursing license in one year.

The takeaway

This case underscores the critical need for robust oversight and accountability measures in nursing homes to protect vulnerable residents from staff who may abuse their positions of trust and access to controlled substances. It also highlights the serious consequences that healthcare workers can face for such egregious breaches of professional ethics and patient care.