A Cape Coral nurse hired to watch over a critically ill 3-year-old through the night instead spent hours silencing his oxygen alarm as his blood-oxygen levels plunged into the high 70s, according to court testimony. Sharlene Pflugrad, 65, pleaded no contest to child neglect and was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by 30 months of probation, ordered to forfeit her nursing license and complete 100 hours of community service.
The boy had been born prematurely and was still battling a respiratory illness when Pflugrad took the overnight shift caring for him in September 2025, according to The National News Desk. Video reviewed in the case, cited by Court TV, shows Pflugrad in the child's room silencing his oxygen alarm about 100 times while photos entered as evidence showed his oxygen readings at 81% and 79%.
A Care Plan Ignored, Investigators Say
Investigators reportedly reviewed nearly 150 video clips from the home, which according to the outlet showed Pflugrad muting alarms, changing monitor sensors, and the child coughing, wheezing and gasping through the night. The boy's care plan directed the nurse to provide oxygen, notify his parents, and seek emergency help if his blood-oxygen level fell below 88%, per the same reporting.
Pflugrad instead texted the child's mother photos of the oxygen readings, and the mother testified she did not see the message until the following morning, the outlet reports. When the parents checked on their son, they found him struggling to breathe and called 911; hospital testing afterward found evidence of prolonged oxygen deprivation, according to the report.
Nurse Maintains She Did Nothing Wrong
In court, Pflugrad said she did nothing wrong on the night in question, maintaining she believed the readings fluctuated because of a sensor problem, per Court TV's account. Investigators, however, found no defect in the monitor, the outlet reports.
The child survived the incident, but his mother said the damage was lasting. He now needs daily oxygen and three breathing treatments daily, she said, and the boy has permanent lung scarring stemming from the night his nurse chose to quiet the alarms instead of answering them.
Sentence Handed Down by Judge Bruce Kyle
Pflugrad had been charged with child neglect, according to Lee County Sheriff's Office records cited by the report, and entered her no-contest plea in July 2026. Judge Bruce Kyle handed down the 30-month prison term along with the 30 months of probation and the community service requirement, and Pflugrad was also required to give up the nursing license she had held.
