On January 25, 2023 a panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a Consent Agreement between BCCNM and Katherine Lowe of Kelowna to address practice issues that occurred in September 2021 while she was working as an emergency room nurse.
Ms. Lowe found an Indigenous person apparently pulseless and unresponsive in the vestibule of the emergency department. Ms. Lowe did not adequately assess or perform any resuscitative measures for them, concluding they were deceased. Further, she did not meet documentation standards related to the said incident.
The Registrant allowed her registration to lapse but has agreed to a public reprimand for her breach of Ethical Practice, Documentation, Client-focused Provision of Care, and Duty to Provide Care standards. Should she successfully reapply for registration in British Columbia, she has voluntarily agreed to terms equivalent to a limit and/or condition on her practice, including:
- A suspension of her nursing registration for 2 months; and
- Remedial education in documentation, ethics, and Indigenous cultural safety.
The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.