The Washington State Department of Health suspended the credentials of a former Bellevue nursing assistant following her criminal convictions for providing cannabis and tobacco to a minor patient.
The disciplinary action, finalized in a February 2026 Order, stems from Elena Nguyen’s employment at THIRA Health LLC, a behavioral health facility, in May 2023.
Drugs on Facility Premises
According to state records, Nguyen was employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Nursing Assistant Registered at the Bellevue facility between May 2 and May 12, 2023.
During this brief period of employment, she sent text messages to a minor patient she had met at the facility, indicating that she had purchased cannabis for the youth.
The state’s investigation found that Nguyen subsequently consumed both cannabis and nicotine with the minor patient directly on the premises of the THIRA Health facility.
Criminal Charges and License Surrender
Shortly after the incidents, on June 30, 2023, Nguyen mailed a statement to the Department of Health attempting to submit a “resignation, withdrawal, and surrender” of her certified nursing license. In that same communication, she denied all the allegations against her.
However, the legal system pursued the matter, resulting in criminal charges.
On March 11, 2024, in King County Superior Court, Nguyen pled guilty to one count of Solicitation to Commit Violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, a Class C Felony.
She also pled guilty to one count of Selling or Giving Tobacco to a Minor, a gross misdemeanor.
State Sanctions and Corrective Actions
The Department of Health determined that Nguyen’s actions constituted unprofessional conduct under multiple sections of state law, including the misuse of controlled substances and a criminal conviction relating to the practice of her profession.
Under the Stipulated Findings of Fact and Agreed Order, Nguyen’s credentials to practice as a nursing assistant-registered and nursing assistant-certified are formally suspended. She is barred from petitioning for the reinstatement of her credentials for a minimum of two years from the order’s effective date.
Before she is eligible to request reinstatement, Nguyen must meet several strict conditions:
- She must pay a $500 fine to the Nursing Assistant Program.
- She must contact the Washington Recovery and Monitoring Program to undergo an evaluation determining if she will be required to participate in their monitoring program.
- She must successfully complete two specific modules—Boundaries and Unprofessional Conduct—through the Ethics and Boundaries Assessment Services examination.
If Nguyen eventually petitions for reinstatement, the disciplining authority retains the right to place additional terms and conditions on her credential, which could include probation, direct supervision, or restrictions on community-based employment.
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