Former Florida in-home nurse Sharlene Pflugrad was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading no contest to child neglect over a 2025 incident in which a 3-year-old in her care had low oxygen levels overnight and was hospitalized the next morning.
The child’s mother testified that nurses were to administer oxygen if his oximeter fell below 88%. On Sept. 15, 2025, his levels fell below normal during Pflugrad’s shift. Medical staff reportedly said he had suffered prolonged oxygen deprivation, and his mother testified he now has scar tissue on his lungs. Authorities reviewed room video; one clip reportedly shows Pflugrad telling the monitor to “shut up” as she changed it while the child coughed.
Pflugrad was also sentenced to 30 months of probation and 100 hours of community service. Court records show she unsuccessfully tried to withdraw her plea. In a court impact statement, the child’s mother said she did not believe Pflugrad intended to harm him but called the carelessness disheartening.
