Douglas County Caregiver Charged After Allegedly Losing Consciousness on Shift and Attempting to Force Entry into Medication Room
The Washington State Department of Health has formally charged Ryan Robert Sprauer, a Douglas County based medical assistant and certified nursing assistant, with unprofessional conduct.
The charges detail a series of alarming workplace incidents, missing medications, and prior criminal convictions.
Erratic Behavior and Missing Narcotics
The state’s allegations center on Sprauer’s time working as a medical assistant at an adult family home.
According to the Statement of Charges, the workplace issues peaked in early April 2024. On April 6, a patient found Sprauer unresponsive at a desk after he failed to respond to a request for medication. The document notes that the patient was only able to rouse him after several attempts.
The situation allegedly escalated the following day. Multiple witnesses reported that Sprauer exhibited erratic behavior, which included attempting to break into a locked office where medications were stored. He also allegedly directed a patient to break into the office and improperly delegated the administration of a patient’s insulin to a co-worker.
On April 8, two other employees discovered discrepancies in narcotic medications and medication logs that had been administered solely by Sprauer. The employees reported these discrepancies to their employer, resulting in Sprauer’s termination shortly thereafter.
Criminal Convictions and State Investigation
The Department of Health’s investigation also highlighted Sprauer’s recent criminal record.
In May 2022, Sprauer was convicted in Douglas County District Court of a gross misdemeanor for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This conviction required him to have an ignition interlock device installed in his vehicle.
Less than two years later, in January 2024, he was convicted in Chelan County District Court for operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock device, which is also a gross misdemeanor.
When the state launched its investigation into his workplace conduct, Sprauer failed to engage. A health care investigator sent him a Letter of Cooperation in August 2024, but Sprauer never provided a written response.
The Department of Health determined that Sprauer’s actions constitute unprofessional conduct under state law, specifically citing acts involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, failure to cooperate with a disciplinary authority, and convictions of gross misdemeanors relating to the practice of his profession.