B.C. nurse reprimanded for drinking alcohol, working while impaired

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

A British Columbia nurse who was caught drinking alcohol on shift and working while impaired has been reprimanded by the profession's regulator.

The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives convened an inquiry committee into the behaviour on Tuesday and rendered its decision, according to a public statement on the college's website.

The nurse, who is not named in the notice, was found to be "drinking alcohol while on shift and practising while impaired" on Aug. 9, 2023, according to the statement.

The nurse was subsequently diagnosed with a disability that had "a causal relationship to the practice issues" addressed by the reprimand, according to the college.

The diagnosis was rendered in an independent medical report and the nurse admitted to the disability, the statement said.

The nurse and the college entered a consent agreement to suspend the nurse's professional registration for three days. The nurse must also enroll in a medical monitoring program to prove their abstinence from alcohol for an unspecified period.

When the nurse returns to work, they will be prohibited from working overtime, acting as the nurse-in-charge, or having supervision over nursing students. The nurse will also be restricted from orienting new staff.

The identity of the nurse was withheld to protect their personal health information with respect to "the condition that impaired their ability to practise nursing," according to the regulator.

"The inquiry committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public," the notice concluded.