Kim Patenaude

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought disciplinary proceedings against a registered nurse for failing to provide adequate care and failing to document care for four patients at a long-term care facility.

The member admitted to the allegations, which included failing to assess a patient on symptom surveillance who later died of sepsis, and failing to escalate another patient's fall.

The Discipline Committee found the member committed professional misconduct.

Accepting a joint submission on penalty, the Committee ordered an oral reprimand, a three-month suspension, and terms including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification.

The Member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct after a patient in the emergency department committed suicide.

The Member failed to conduct required periodic assessments of the patient and subsequently falsified the patient's health record to indicate that checks had been performed when they had not.

The Discipline Committee found that the Member committed professional misconduct, including contravening standards of practice, failing to keep records, falsifying records, and engaging in dishonourable and unprofessional conduct.

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

The College of Nurses of Ontario brought allegations of professional misconduct against a Registered Nurse for failing to maintain therapeutic boundaries with a vulnerable mental health patient and for disclosing another patient's personal health information on Facebook.

The Member admitted to the allegations, including engaging in a non-clinical relationship, inappropriate text messaging, and posting details of a patient's death on social media.

The Discipline Committee found the Member committed professional misconduct and ordered an 8-month suspension, a reprimand, and terms including meetings with a regulatory expert and employer notification.

The member, a registered nurse, faced allegations of professional misconduct for accessing a client's personal information for a non-health-related purpose, sending personal text messages to the client, misappropriating a blank prescription pad from the hospital, and forging a physician's signature to prescribe himself medication.

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

The Discipline Committee found the member committed professional misconduct.

Pursuant to a joint submission, the Committee ordered an oral reprimand, noting that the member had already permanently resigned from the College and agreed never to reapply.

The College brought a motion seeking leave to withdraw the allegations of professional misconduct against the member set out in the Notice of Hearing, so the matter could be dealt with by another Committee.

The member consented to the request.

The Discipline Committee granted the motion pursuant to Rule 13(13) of its Rules of Procedure, finding the withdrawal to be reasonable, appropriate, and in the public interest.

The Member, a vice-principal, faced allegations of professional misconduct for making inappropriate and uncomfortable comments to several female colleagues over a three-week period.

The Member pled guilty to the allegations, admitting that his conduct violated the standards of the profession and constituted disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional conduct.

The Discipline Committee accepted the joint submission on penalty, ordering a reprimand and the completion of a course on boundaries.

The Committee also ordered publication of the decision with the Member's name, finding that the aggravating factors outweighed the mitigating factors and that publication was necessary for specific and general deterrence.

The Member, a school principal, pleaded guilty to professional misconduct for breaching rules regarding the administration of EQAO tests between 2007 and 2010.

The Member failed to keep test materials secure, altered student answers, and permitted improper accommodations, including unauthorized scribing and allowing students to leave the testing area.

The Discipline Committee accepted the guilty plea and found the Member guilty of professional misconduct.

The Committee ordered a reprimand, a six-month suspension (reducible to three months upon completion of an ethics course), and publication of the decision with the Member's name.