On December 30, 2022, a panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a Consent Agreement between BCCNM and the Registrant wherein the Registrant agreed to regular monitoring for their fitness to practice nursing and agreed to limits on their practice. The concerns giving rise to the complaint included the Registrant diverting narcotics from their employer and falsifying records in order to conceal the diversion activity. The Registrant was diagnosed with and admitted to a disability with a causal relationship to the practice issues via an independent medical report.
The Registrant has voluntarily agreed to terms equivalent to a limit on their practice, including:
- Disclosure of treatment recommendations to relevant employer representative(s);
- A limit impacting access to and handling of narcotics, with concurrent medical monitoring, to support the stable return to fitness to practice;
- A limit on being the sole RN on duty, working overtime, and supervising students.
The Agreement will remain in place for a minimum of four years of continuous nursing practice. The name of the Registrant has been withheld in accordance with section 39.3 (4) (a) of the Health Professions Act for the purposes of not identifying the personal health information of the Registrant respecting the condition.
Nursing and midwifery are challenging professions with many daily struggles. BCCNM believes that public safety is best served by promoting and maintaining healthy nurses and midwives in supportive relationships with their physicians, colleagues, and employers.
We encourage registrants struggling with health challenges, including a substance use disorder, to seek help before their health negatively impacts their professional decision-making and patient safety.
If a substance use disorder has impacted nursing or midwifery care, the most common BCCNM outcome is a consent agreement that includes treatment followed by a return to work with narcotics handling limitations and concurrent medical monitoring to support a stable return to fitness to practice.
If you are a nurse or midwife concerned about your or a colleague's substance use, please read our Case Study “Kelsey's Story" for more information.
The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.