The B.C. College of Nurses & Midwives has suspended an unnamed nurse for taking narcotics for their own use and then falsifying records to hide the fact they had taken the drugs.
The April 1 discipline notice does not name the nurse nor does it indicate the location of the offences. It was the nurse’s employer who brought the case to the college’s attention.
A consent agreement with the nurse includes an eight-week suspension and reprimand, regular reporting regarding medical monitoring compliance and disclosure of drug treatment recommendations to employer representatives.
The nurse also has limits on their practice to prevent the circumstances leading to the problems from reoccurring.
Those limits include:
- no access to restricted drugs for a term
- not having supervision over students and/or orienting new staff and;
- not being the sole nurse on shift.
The agreement is to remain in place for four years, the college said.
An inquiry committee said the reasons were arrived at because the nurse had provided an independent medical assessment documenting health concerns to the college that could impact the ability to provide safe patient care. And, an independent medical assessment identified the registrant is fit to practice nursing.
The nurse’s name was withheld under the Health Professions Act to protect private health information.
