Denise M. Cooney

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered nurse for professional misconduct.

The member admitted to physically and emotionally abusing an elderly, fall-risk patient by forcefully pulling her down a hallway, pushing her into her room, and leaving her in the dark without ensuring she was safely in bed.

The member also admitted to failing to maintain a professional relationship with a colleague who had offered assistance.

The Discipline Committee accepted an agreed statement of facts and found the member committed professional misconduct.

Pursuant to a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered an oral reprimand, noting the member had already signed an undertaking to permanently resign from the profession.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for failing to appropriately monitor and assess two patients, failing to maintain appropriate documentation, and falsifying a record regarding a patient's urine output.

Both patients died shortly after the Member's shifts, though the Member's actions were not alleged to have directly caused the deaths.

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

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

Accepting a Joint Submission on Order, the Committee ordered an oral reprimand, a three-month suspension, and imposed terms, conditions, and limitations on the Member's certificate of registration, including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification.

The Member, a Registered Practical Nurse, faced disciplinary proceedings for professional misconduct involving the physical, verbal, and emotional abuse of a vulnerable psychiatric patient on two occasions.

The Member admitted to using unnecessary force, including pushing and pinning the patient down, and making threatening remarks.

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

The Committee ordered an oral reprimand, a 6-month suspension, and imposed terms, conditions, and limitations on the Member's certificate of registration, including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification requirements.

The defendant university brought a motion to dismiss the plaintiff's action for disclosing no reasonable cause of action.

The plaintiff alleged wrongful expulsion, assault, and discrimination occurring in and around 2000.

The court dismissed the action, finding it was barred by the 15-year ultimate limitation period under the Limitations Act, 2002.

Furthermore, the court noted it lacked jurisdiction over academic disputes and human rights claims, which must be directed to the university's internal processes and the Human Rights Tribunal, respectively.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a Registered Practical Nurse for professional misconduct involving an 88-year-old patient with Alzheimer's disease.

The Member admitted to disregarding the patient's plan of care during a transfer, making inappropriate comments, and forcing the patient's hands onto a stand lift.

The Discipline Committee found that the Member's actions constituted verbal, physical, and emotional abuse, as well as disgraceful, dishonourable, and unprofessional conduct.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering an oral reprimand, a two-month suspension, and terms including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification.

The member, a Registered Practical Nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct relating to inadequate patient care, falsifying medication administration records, and failing to report a criminal conviction for forgery.

The member admitted to the allegations, which included failing to respond to a choking patient, improperly administering and documenting medications, and forging a disability claim form.

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

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering an oral reprimand, a six-month suspension, and various terms, conditions, and limitations on the member's certificate of registration, including employer notification and practice audits.

The member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for failing to maintain therapeutic boundaries, engaging in financial abuse, and practicing in a conflict of interest.

The member admitted to purchasing a vulnerable patient's home and assets below market value, accepting power of attorney for the patient, and being named a beneficiary in the patient's will.

The Discipline Committee accepted an agreed statement of facts and a joint submission on penalty, ordering an 8-month suspension, a reprimand, and terms, conditions, and limitations on the member's certificate of registration.

The Member, a Registered Nurse and former Director of Resident Care at a long-term care facility, faced allegations of professional misconduct.

The allegations included failing to ensure appropriate hiring practices, failing to review and compile monthly reports, failing to sign and follow up on medication incident reports, failing to report and investigate critical incidents, and failing to appropriately store and dispose of medication.

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

The Discipline Committee found that the Member committed professional misconduct and engaged in dishonourable and unprofessional conduct.

The Committee accepted a Joint Submission on Order, imposing a reprimand, a seven-month suspension, and terms, conditions, and limitations on the Member's certificate of registration.

The applicant law firm sought to pay settlement funds into court due to a dispute between its former client and a litigation lender over loan repayment.

The lender sought summary determination of its claim.

The former client disputed the debt, alleging misrepresentation, incapacity, and improper legal advice from the applicant.

The court found no triable issues regarding the client's indebtedness to the lender, noting the small amount in dispute and the lack of a legal defence.

The court ordered the applicant to pay the lender from the trust funds, extinguishing the client's and the applicant's liability to the lender, but preserved the client's right to pursue claims against the applicant.

The Member, a Registered Practical Nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for verbally, physically, and emotionally abusing four patients at a long-term care facility.

The Member admitted to the allegations, which included throwing liquid at a patient, hitting a patient, and force-feeding another.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and found the Member committed professional misconduct.

Accepting a Joint Submission on Order, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a seven-month suspension, and terms including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered nurse for working overlapping shifts at two different employers, providing inadequate care and documentation for two patients at a correctional facility, and using unprofessional language in an email.

The member admitted to taking paid sick time and unpaid emergency time from one employer while working and being paid at another, which the panel found constituted professional misconduct and misappropriation.

The panel also found the member failed to maintain adequate documentation for the two patients.

However, the panel dismissed the allegations of inadequate care, finding the member's assessments and triage decisions were reasonable given the chaotic environment of the correctional facility.

The panel also dismissed the allegation regarding unprofessional language, finding the terms used were reflective of the institutional culture rather than professional misconduct.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced a discipline hearing for failing to appropriately monitor a patient, failing to assess the patient after a change in condition, failing to initiate CPR when the patient was found without vital signs, and falsifying documentation to indicate hourly checks had been performed.

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 Order, imposing a reprimand, a three-month suspension, and terms, conditions, and limitations on her certificate of registration.

The member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for failing to engage in therapeutic communications, pushing a 92-year-old patient, and using excessive force to hold the patient down on a stretcher.

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

The Discipline Committee found the member committed professional misconduct by verbally, physically, and emotionally abusing the patient.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered a reprimand, a six-month suspension, and imposed terms, conditions, and limitations on the member's certificate of registration, including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification requirements.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought professional misconduct allegations against a Nurse Practitioner, including sexual abuse of a patient, over-prescribing controlled substances, failing to maintain professional boundaries, and failing to keep adequate records.

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

The Discipline Committee found the Member guilty of professional misconduct and accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a 10-month suspension, an oral reprimand, and various terms, conditions, and limitations on the Member's certificate of registration.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered nurse for misappropriating approximately $8,600 from her employer through unauthorized corporate credit card use and for subsequently misrepresenting her educational credentials to a new employer by submitting a falsified university transcript and letter.

The Discipline Committee found the nurse committed professional misconduct, noting her actions demonstrated poor judgment, dishonesty, and a serious disregard for professional obligations.

The Committee ordered a 10-month suspension, an oral reprimand, and imposed terms, conditions, and limitations on her certificate of registration, including meetings with a regulatory expert and a 24-month employer notification requirement.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct arising from her provision of home care to a vulnerable child.

The Member admitted to failing to document care, crossing professional boundaries by requesting additional shifts and a reference letter from the patient's father, and misappropriating the patient's communication book containing health records.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and found the Member committed professional misconduct.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand, a four-month suspension, and terms, conditions, and limitations on her certificate of registration.

The Estate Trustees of Allen Berg's estate sought court direction to determine the beneficial ownership of a cottage property.

Legal title was held by Melamel Properties Inc., whose shares were owned by the estate.

Judith Berg, the deceased's widow, claimed the entire beneficial interest or a 50% interest.

The court found that the deceased had created an express trust, holding the property for himself and Judith Berg as equal tenants in common.

The deceased's subsequent attempt to transfer the property solely to Melamel Properties Inc. for his exclusive benefit was deemed ineffective due to misstatements and breach of fiduciary duty, as Judith Berg's beneficial interest could not be unilaterally divested.

The court vested an undivided one-half interest in Judith Berg personally and an undivided one-half interest in the Estate of Allen Berg as tenants in common.

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought allegations of professional misconduct against the respondent, a Registered Practical Nurse, for multiple incidents involving verbal and physical abuse of clients, failure to follow a physician's order, and failure to document care.

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

The Discipline Committee found the respondent committed professional misconduct and accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering an oral reprimand.

The respondent also entered into an undertaking to permanently resign from the College.

The Member, a registered nurse, was found guilty of professional misconduct after being convicted of fraud over $5,000 under the Criminal Code.

The Member had misappropriated $17,000 from the spouse of a former client by using her credit card and transferring funds without authorization.

The Discipline Committee accepted an Agreed Statement of Facts and a Joint Submission on Order, imposing a reprimand, a five-month suspension, and various terms, conditions, and limitations on the Member's certificate of registration.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct relating to inadequate care, medication errors, failure to document, and failure to report conditions imposed on his nursing license in Manitoba.

The Member admitted to the allegations.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct, including unprofessional and dishonourable conduct, but not disgraceful conduct.

The Committee accepted a joint submission on penalty, ordering a five-month suspension, a reprimand, and conditions on the Member's certificate of registration.