CNO 2011

The Member, a Registered Practical Nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for inappropriately communicating with and roughly handling a 91-year-old cognitively impaired client.

The Member admitted to the allegations through an Agreed Statement of Facts.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct.

Accepting a Joint Submission as to Penalty, the Committee ordered a one-month suspension, terms and conditions including an abuse prevention program and practice monitoring, and an oral reprimand.

The College of Nurses of Ontario alleged that the Member, a registered practical nurse, committed professional misconduct by failing to maintain boundaries, accepting gifts, exercising undue influence, and misappropriating property from an elderly client at a retirement residence.

The panel found that the Member and the client had a pre-existing relationship, but the Member breached the Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship Standard by accepting significant gifts, including a car and large cheques, and by maintaining an inappropriate personal relationship while providing nursing care.

The allegations of undue influence and misappropriation were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.

The panel concluded the Member's actions constituted dishonourable and unprofessional conduct.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought discipline proceedings against the Member for multiple incidents of failing to monitor patients, failing to document, and failing to communicate patient deterioration.

Despite extensive orientation and practice reviews, the Member's basic nursing skills remained deficient.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct, engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct, and was incompetent.

The Committee ordered an oral reprimand and the revocation of the Member's certificate of registration.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced a discipline hearing regarding her post-operative care of a patient who had undergone liposuction surgery.

The Member admitted to professional misconduct, including failing to properly assess, monitor, and document the patient's condition, leaving the unstable patient unattended, and failing to obtain emergency medical intervention when the patient's condition deteriorated, ultimately resulting in the patient's death.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Order, finding the Member committed professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a five-month suspension, and imposed conditions on the Member's certificate of registration, including ethics coursework and sessions with a nursing expert.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a member for numerous allegations of professional misconduct while working at a retirement facility.

The member, whose certificate of registration was suspended, held herself out as a registered nurse, improperly delegated controlled acts to unregulated care providers, failed to document care, and subjected residents to physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, including improper confinement and restraints.

The Discipline Committee found all allegations proven, noting the member's conduct showed severe neglect and a complete disregard for nursing standards.

The member's certificate of registration was revoked.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought allegations of professional misconduct against the respondent nurse for inappropriate behaviour, boundary crossings, and misappropriation of narcotics.

The respondent did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found that the respondent dressed in lingerie and behaved inappropriately with a client, engaged in boundary crossings by visiting a discharged client and accepting gifts, and misappropriated narcotics from two clients' homes.

The Committee ordered a four-month suspension, a reprimand, and imposed terms, conditions, and limitations on the respondent's certificate of registration, including a restriction from practicing independently in the community for 12 months.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered practical nurse following an incident where a resident with a history of cardiac issues died after being left unattended in a washroom.

The Member failed to assess the resident, ignored signs of illness, refused to administer prescribed medication for nausea, and left the floor without notifying colleagues.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct and was incompetent, demonstrating a profound lack of basic nursing knowledge, skill, and judgment.

Given the Member's lack of insight, failure to attend the hearing, and the danger she posed to the public, the Committee ordered the revocation of her certificate of registration.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered nurse for her handling of an aggressive elderly client with dementia.

The nurse intervened when the client was found yelling at a roommate.

While the panel found the initial intervention to remove the client from the roommate's bed was appropriate, it held that the nurse breached the standard of practice by subsequently removing the client's shoes and pants, which escalated the situation.

Allegations of physical abuse, aggressive handling, and improper documentation were dismissed.

The panel imposed a penalty requiring the nurse to complete remedial sessions with a nursing expert.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered practical nurse for professional misconduct, including practising while suspended, falsifying documents, medication administration errors, and failing to report criminal convictions for assault and break and enter.

The member did not attend the hearing.

The Discipline Committee found the member committed the alleged acts of professional misconduct, noting a pattern of ungovernability and disregard for the profession's standards.

The committee ordered the immediate revocation of the member's certificate of registration.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for failing to disclose terms, conditions, and limitations on her certificate of registration to a prospective employer, and for accepting a position she could not fulfill given those restrictions.

The Member admitted to the allegations via an Agreed Statement of Facts.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct and accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering an oral reprimand and a six-month suspension.

The Member, a Registered Practical Nurse, admitted to professional misconduct for providing a falsified Police Clearance Certificate to her employer.

The certificate had been altered to conceal a prior criminal conviction for fraud.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Penalty.

The Member was reprimanded, her certificate of registration was suspended for one month, and conditions were imposed requiring her to meet with a nursing expert and notify future employers of the decision.

The Member, a Registered Practical Nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for misappropriating narcotics, failing to administer medications, and falsifying records at a long-term care facility.

The Member admitted to the allegations, which included signing for narcotics not administered and falsifying removal times.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct and accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a four-month suspension, and terms and conditions on her certificate of registration, including meetings with a nursing expert and employer notification.

The Member, a registered nurse working in a psychiatric unit, admitted to professional misconduct for crossing professional boundaries and emotionally abusing a vulnerable client.

The Member made inappropriate comments, hugged the client, kissed the client on the forehead, tucked the client into bed, and stroked the client's hip.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Order, finding the Member's conduct to be dishonourable and unprofessional.

The Member was reprimanded, suspended for two months, and subjected to terms, conditions, and limitations on his certificate of registration, including mandatory sessions with a nursing expert.