Surrey, B.C., nurse suspended 4 months for performing 'religious ritual' on client

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

A Surrey nurse has had his registration suspended for four months for performing "a religious ritual" on a client without informed consent.

In a consent agreement reached between Christopher Villaflor and the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives on Friday, the licensed practical nurse agreed to several conditions as discipline for the incident.

According to a summary of the consent agreement posted on the BCCNM website, Villaflor's conduct occurred in June 2021. 

While the summary doesn't give many specifics, it says the "practice issues" were "related to performing a religious ritual on a client in a public setting, without informed consent, and without consideration of the client's Indigenous heritage."

In the consent agreement, Villaflor agreed to the four-month suspension of his nursing registration, as well as a prohibition on being the sole nurse on duty for a period of one year.

He must also undergo "remedial education in ethics, trauma-informed care, and cultural safety and humility" and a one-year period of workplace mentorship, according to the summary.