(A report by the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – The Iowa Board of Nursing has issued a warning to a nurse suspected of being intoxicated at work and failing to report two arrests for drunken driving.

In 2020, the Board of Nursing charged Mandi Irlbeck of Harlan with excessive use of alcohol that might impair a licensee’s ability to practice nursing with reasonable skill and safety. The board alleged that in May 2020, Irlbeck came to work in a condition unfit to work. The board did not disclose the nature or place of her employment. In addition, the board said it received information that Irlbeck “excessively uses alcohol.” In a settlement, Irlbeck agreed to have her license placed on probation for 18 months, during which she would not use alcohol and would enroll in a chemical screening program.

In July 2025, the board received a complaint that Irlbeck’s coworkers suspected she had been intoxicated while working as a nurse. While looking into that matter, the board learned Irlbeck had failed to report a 2024 conviction for drunken driving during a period when she worked at a MercyOne medical facility.

The board also learned Irlbeck was then facing a charge of second-offense drunken driving that was still working its way through the courts. That charge stemmed from a May 2025 incident in which Irlbeck was pulled over near Logan and, according to police, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.235% — almost three times the legal limit for driving.

Court records show Irlbeck subsequently pleaded guilty to the second-offense drunken driving charge and, according to the board, she was fired from her place of employment due to concerns with her use of alcohol. The Board of Nursing charged Irlbeck with being convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of the nursing profession, and with engaging in behavior that is contradictory to professional decorum.

The board and Irlbeck recently agreed to a settlement that calls for Irlbeck to accept a warning that states any future infractions may result in some form of discipline. As part of the settlement, Irlbeck also agreed to enroll in the Iowa Practitioner Health Program. Her nursing license remains in full effect.