On August 25, 2023, a panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a Consent Agreement between BCCNM and Rebecca Humberstone of Victoria, B.C., to address practice issues that occurred in February and March of 2022 related to narcotics handling practices including lack of documentation of requisite pain assessments prior to administration, failure to document administration, and failure to document post-administration reassessments. This conduct places patients at risk of inappropriate and dangerous medication administration, and risks other practitioners overdosing a patient because there is no record of prior narcotics administration. The Registrant also breached a prior consent agreement by failing to ensure adequate supervision of medication administration practices and ceasing requisite oversight activities without informing the regulator during a period when they were not working. The Registrant also has a prior agreement for a separate breach of a Consent Agreement. Progressive discipline has been put in place to ensure both specific and general deterrence of such conduct.
The Registrant has voluntarily agreed to terms equivalent to limits and conditions on their practice, including:
- A three-month suspension of their nursing registration and a public reprimand for a pattern of breaching a Consent Agreement, and for continuing a pattern of deficient narcotics handling, including failing to document administration of narcotics, and not documenting completion of pain assessments pre and post administration of narcotics;
- Limits prohibiting them from being the sole RN on duty, nurse in charge, working overtime and providing regulatory supervision of students or others for 12-months;
- Continuance of prior oversight supervision placed on hold while not working; and
- Remedial education related to the Professional Standards, Medications, and Documentation.
The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.