On March 5, 2025, a panel of the Inquiry Committee approved a consent agreement between BCCNM and the registrant to address concerns that occurred between April 2022 and April 2024 related to diversion of narcotics from the workplace for self use, and for practising while impaired.
The registrant was diagnosed with and admitted to a disability with a causal relationship to the practice issues via an independent medical report and they have agreed to comply with the treatment recommendations.
The Inquiry Committee recognizes that nurses and midwives, like any member of the public, may grapple with health issues that may impact their ability to practice safely, competently, and ethically. BCCNM expects that registrants will work only when they are fit to do so and will remove themselves from practise when they are unwell.
In this case, the registrant has agreed to a one-week suspension and reprimand for diverting narcotics from the workplace for self-use and for practising while impaired. They have also agreed to undergo formalized medical monitoring for a minimum period of five years to demonstrate abstinence from substance abuse, and to return to nursing practice with limits on their ability to access and/or handle narcotics (and associated medications) while engaging with their employer's disability office as they continue on their recovery journey. In addition, the registrant will also have limits on their practice, including not working night shifts, not working overtime, not acting as the nurse-in-charge, not being assigned students, and not being involved in the orientation of staff. The registrant must also complete a comprehensive ethics course.
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 a registrant or their personal health information respecting the condition that impaired their ability to practice nursing or midwifery.
The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.