On July 27, 2023, a panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a Consent Agreement between BCCNM and Sherri Hedberg of Langley, B.C., to address her conduct and practice issues that occurred between September 2022 and April 2023. During this time period, Ms. Hedberg engaged in and maintained an emotionally intimate relationship with a vulnerable client who was part of her caseload. The Registrant permitted the client to stay overnight at her home; on separate occasions, permitted his family member stay at her home; cooked and shared meals; and engaged in other inappropriate physical contact.
BCCNM considered that breaches of professional boundaries in the nurse–client relationship where nurses engage in inappropriate relationships with clients in their care is professional misconduct, and conduct that harms patients and erodes trust in the profession.
Therefore, the Inquiry Committee directed, and the Registrant has voluntarily agreed to, terms equivalent to a limit and/or condition on their practice, including:
- Cancellation of their registration and a prohibition on reapplying for a minimum of five years.
In the event that the Registrant reapplies for practising registration in the future, the Registrant will be required to satisfy the Registration Committee that they meet the requirements of fitness, competence, and good character.
The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.