B.C. nurse suspended for promoting COVID-19 'pseudo-science' in personal messages to client
A West Kelowna nurse has been suspended for four weeks after contacting a client while off duty to provide information against COVID-19 vaccination and in favour of "alternative pseudo-science modalities."
The terms of a consent agreement reached Thursday and summarized on the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives website indicate that Carole Garfield will have her nursing registration suspended for four weeks.
She has also received a public reprimand and is prohibited from being the sole registered nurse on duty for a period of six months.
The college has ordered her to receive "remedial education in ethics, boundaries, documentation, privacy and confidentiality, and the professional nursing standards," as well.
According to the college, Garfield's misconduct took place in September 2021. She used her personal cellphone and email to contact "a vulnerable client" with her anti-vaccination messages.
Garfield is not the first registered nurse to be sanctioned by the college for "practice issues" related to COVID-19 vaccines.
Earlier this month, a Nanaimo nurse was suspended for asking a colleague to create fake proof of vaccination and for posting on social media claiming "the COVID-19 vaccine was unnecessary, unsafe, and possibly lethal."
And in July, a Castlegar nurse was suspended for six months for successfully creating four fake B.C. Vaccine Cards in 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.