Discipline Committee of the College of Nurses of Ontario
PANEL: Terry Holland, RPN Chairperson Honey Palalon, RN Member Tania Perlin Public Member Heather Stevanka, RN Member Devinder Walia Public Member
BETWEEN:
COLLEGE OF NURSES OF ONTARIO EMILY LAWRENCE for College of Nurses of Ontario
- and -
DEANNA BLUM Reg. No. JI740088 NO REPRESENTATION for Deanna Blum
CHRISTOPHER WIRTH Independent Legal Counsel
Heard: February 5, 2019
DECISION AND REASONS
This matter came on for hearing before a panel of the Discipline Committee (“the Panel”) on February 5, 2019 at the College of Nurses of Ontario (“the College”) at Toronto.
Deanna Blum (“the Member”) was present but not represented by Counsel.
Publication Ban
At the request of Counsel for the College, the Panel made an order pursuant to s.45(3) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Nursing Act, 1991, preventing the public disclosure of the names of the Clients or any information that could identify them, referred to orally or in any documents presented in the Discipline Hearing of Deanna Blum, including a ban on the publication or broadcasting of this information.
The Allegations
The allegations against the Member as stated in the Notice of Hearing dated January 29, 2019 are as follows:
IT IS ALLEGED THAT:
- You have committed an act of professional misconduct as provided by subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Nursing Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 32, as amended, and defined in subsection 1(1) of Ontario Regulation 799/93, in that, while employed by Bluewater Health (the “Hospital”) as a Registered Practical Nurse, you contravened a standard of practice of the profession or failed to meet the standards of practice of the profession in that:
(a) while assigned to your client, [Client A], on the evening of April 7, 2016, you failed to monitor, assess, intervene, and/or seek assistance and/or appropriately document your care of [Client A] including but not limited to
i. failing to observe the client while he was in his locked room while he engaged in self-harm and/or rang his call bell;
ii. failing to de-escalate his behaviour;
iii. failing to assess the ongoing need for restraints; and/or
iv. failing to document his self-harm in his chart and/or in an incident report;
(b) on or about June 13, 2017, you swatted and/or slapped the hand or hands of your client, [Client B]; and/or
(c) on or about June 13, 2017, you told your client, [Client B], “don’t hit me or I will not help you” and/or “stop pawing me” or words to that effect, in a rude and/or annoyed tone.
- You have committed an act of professional misconduct as provided by subsection 51(1)(c) of the Health Professions Procedural Code of the Nursing Act, 1991, S.O. 1991, c. 32, as amended, and defined in subsection 1(37) of Ontario Regulation 799/93, while employed by the Hospital as a Registered Practical Nurse, in that you engaged in conduct or performed an act, relevant to the practice of nursing, that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members of the profession as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional in that you:
(a) while assigned to your client, [Client A], on the evening of April 7, 2016, you failed to monitor, assess, intervene, and/or seek assistance and/or appropriately document your care of [Client A] including but not limited to
i. failing to observe the client while he was in his locked room while he engaged in self-harm and/or rang his call bell;
ii. failing to de-escalate his behaviour;
iii. failing to assess the ongoing need for restraints; and/or
iv. failing to document his self-harm in his chart and/or in an incident report;
(b) on or about June 13, 2017, you swatted and/or slapped the hand or hands of your client, [Client B]; and/or
(c) on or about June 13, 2017, you told your client, [Client B], “don’t hit me or I will not help you” and “Stop pawing me” or words to that effect, in a rude and/or annoyed tone.