B.C. nurse disciplined for diverting narcotics, working while impaired

A nurse holds a tablet in this stock image from Shutterstock.

A B.C. nurse was disciplined by the regulatory body for the profession this week for diverting narcotics and other related infractions.

The nurse, whose name and place of work were not shared, entered a consent agreement with the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives on Monday to “address conduct and fitness concerns” dating back to 2022.

According to an online summary of the agreement, the employee diverted narcotics from their workplace; practised while impaired; diverted narcotics away from patients, “leaving them in great discomfort;” and falsified records “in order to conceal the diversion activities.”

The nurse was diagnosed with, and admitted to “a disability with a causal relationship” to their conduct, the college said. The nurse is not named for that reason, the college explained, as under the Health Professions Act it won’t identify a registrant with a condition that “impaired their ability to practice nursing.”

The BCCNM says the registrant has agreed to undergo recommended treatment and be monitored, along with other limits on their practice.

The terms include a one-week suspension of their nursing registration; a period of independent medical monitoring for a minimum of 36 months; disclosing their treatment recommendations to employers; and completion of an ethics course.

A restriction on accessing or handling narcotics, benzodiazepines and controlled substances will also be in place for “a term to support the stable return to work and ongoing fitness to practice.”

In addition, the nurse is not allowed to work overtime, act as the nurse in charge, work night shifts, supervise students or be involved in staff orientation.

The conditions will remain in place for a minimum of four years, the college said.

“The inquiry committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public,” it wrote.