Notice

Hamm, Amy, RN

Penalty and costs

Aug 14, 2025

A panel of the Discipline Committee (the Panel) of the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) previously found that Ms. Hamm had committed professional misconduct by making discriminatory and derogatory statements towards transgender people across various social media while identifying as a nurse. The college considers that decision to be an important statement against discrimination. Nurses and midwives occupy a position of trust and influence in our society. The college will continue to stand up against discrimination and believes it is a core aspect of our public protection mandate to ensure nurses uphold the important principle that the health care system is non-discriminatory.

Following that decision, submissions were made to the Panel on penalty and costs, and the Panel has issued that decision. They ordered a one-month suspension noting that:

A suspension represents the second most serious action that a discipline committee panel can take short of cancellation of registration. The Panel is satisfied that a one-month suspension will serve the public interest and the purposes of specific and general deterrence by making it clear that it is unacceptable to use a professional nursing designation in conjunction with the public expression of discriminatory and derogatory statements targeting vulnerable and marginalized members of a community as such statements risks that members of that community will lose trust in the health care system and may be reluctant or unwilling to seek health care.

The Panel awarded the college $93,639 in costs, with two years to pay those costs.

The full decision of the Panel can be found here.

Ms. Hamm has filed an appeal of the initial March 13, 2025, Discipline Order in the BC Supreme Court. The Panel ordered that their decision on penalty and costs be stayed until the outcome of that appeal.

Inquiry should be directed to media@bccnm.ca.