FORT MYERS, Fla. (Court TV) — A nurse accused of disregarding alarms while monitoring a medically vulnerable child who needed oxygen maintained that she followed procedures and did nothing wrong, but failed to convince the judge, who sent her to prison.
Sharlene Pflugrad appears in court on Sept. 22, 2026. (Court TV)
Sharlene Pflugrad, 65, pleaded no contest to child neglect following an incident at a family’s home in Cape Coral in 2025. Pflugrad, a licensed practical nurse, had been working in the home, helping care for a medically complex 3-year-old boy. The child, who was born prematurely at 24 weeks, was suffering from a respiratory illness at the time. An agency hired Pflugrad to care for the child overnight from 10 p.m. to 8:15 a.m.
On the night in question, video shows Pflugrad in the child’s room silencing his oxygen alarm about 100 times. The alarm was designed to alert when his oxygen dropped to dangerous levels, with the normal range between 88 and 100. That night, investigators said, the child’s oxygen levels repeatedly dropped, but Pflugrad failed to take appropriate action.
When the child’s mother woke up, she saw that Pflugrad had texted her once with photos showing her son’s oxygen at 81% and 79%. Protocol, the mother testified at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, required the nurse on duty to give the child oxygen, wake the parents, notify the nursing agency and call 911 if needed. Pflugrad did nothing beyond sending the text.
Seeing the text, the child’s mother ran into her son’s room. “You told me that it had been going on all night. The lack of recognition was outstanding,” the mother said in court Tuesday. “I don’t believe your intentions were to harm him, but the level of recklessness and carelessness is disheartening. I have tried to forgive you, but it’s extremely difficult.”
The child’s mother said that the incident left her son with permanent health issues, including scar tissue on his lungs that requires frequent hospitalizations. He now needs daily oxygen and three breathing treatments daily, using three different medications. “I am angry, I am disappointed, but mainly I am sad,” she said. “I am sad my child has suffered unnecessarily, and he is going to continue to suffer because of this.”
“I want to say to the family that I’m sorry this happened,” Pflugrad said when it was her turn to address the court. “I’m sorry I didn’t go and wake up the mom and let her know what was happening.”
Pflugrad said that she did nothing wrong on the night in question. “I did as I was told,” she said. “I was told by a supervisor that it was OK if the oxygen level went down below normal as long as it didn’t stay there and it went back up to normal, which it did.” Pflugrad admitted to silencing the alarm, but saw nothing wrong with the practice. “To push the button and silence the alarm is what you’re supposed to do. You’re not just going to let it keep beeping forever.”
“This is a lack of training case,” Pflugrad’s attorney said, as he asked the judge to sentence her only to probation or house arrest. “Incarcerating her … serves no practical purpose for anyone.”
After taking a brief recess to consider the arguments, Judge Bruce Kyle returned with a decision. “I think some time [in prison] is appropriate,” he said. “This wasn’t just negligence or a bad night.”
Kyle sentenced Pflugrad to serve 30 months in the custody of the Department of Corrections, followed by 30 months of probation. She is also required to forfeit her nursing license and to perform 100 hours of community service.
