A panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a Consent Agreement to address the Registrant's significant narcotics diversion and impairment in the workplace over roughly a six month period in 2019 and 2020. Patient care records had also been altered to obscure the diversion and impairment. The Registrant acknowledged the diversion and impairment, was diagnosed with and admitted to a disability with a causal relationship to the misconduct and completed residential treatment. A physician specializing in addiction medicine provided recommendations for a safe return to nursing practise.
The undertakings include but are not limited to: a two week suspension; a restriction from working overtime and a restriction from working nights for a term; a limit on practice precluding access to narcotics, benzodiazepines, controlled substances and atypical sedatives (also known as the "zed" class of drugs) for a lengthy term; and regular reports from a medical monitoring agency regarding compliance with treatment recommendation and disclosure to the employer. The Agreement will remain in place for a minimum of six years of 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.
The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the undertakings will protect the public.