A panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a Consent Agreement under which the Registrant agreed to undertakings involving regular monitoring for fitness to practice nursing and a limit on practice. The concerns giving rise to the complaint included the Registrant diverting a substantial amount of narcotics from the workplace, practising while impaired, and falsifying clinical records in order to conceal the diversion activities. The undertakings include, but are not limited to: a three month suspension, regular reports from a medical monitoring agency regarding compliance with treatment recommendations, disclosure of treatment recommendations to relevant employer representative(s), and a limit on practice precluding access to narcotics, benzodiazepines, controlled substances, and atypical sedatives (also known as the “zed" class of drugs) for one year; a restriction from working the night shift and a restriction from working overtime. The Agreement will remain in place for a minimum of five years of continuous full-time nursing practice.
The reasons for the Inquiry Committee decision are as follows:
- The Registrant has had a previous case of narcotics diversion and a lengthy period of monitoring. The Registrant began diverting narcotics at or about the time of the termination of their first monitoring agreement.
- The Registrant provided an independent medical assessment documenting health concerns to BCCNM which could impact the ability to provide safe patient care.
- The independent medical assessment states that the Registrant is fit to practice nursing.
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. The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the undertakings will protect the public.