A BC nurse who snooped on her colleagues’ confidential medical records has been suspended for three weeks.

According to a March 12 BC College of Nurses and Midwives decision, registered nurse Marilyn Mallari-Harteveld’s conduct was unsatisfactory in numerous aspects of her work.

The nursing regulator says she failed to meet nursing standards when she acted without client-specific orders, accessed her colleagues’ confidential information, and had “inappropriate communicable disease prevention” and control methods.

“BC College of Nurses and Midwives standards set expectations to ensure nurses are practising competently, ethically, responsibly, and safely,” the decision reads. “Nurses are accountable for their nursing decisions, actions, and professional conduct. Nurses must meet these standards in providing care to patients.”

The nursing regulator says the Port Coquitlam-based nurse accessed her colleagues’ “confidential information” when not in a care relationship, but gives no details of how many times this took place, or how many colleagues this involved. The regulator also doesn’t say when this took place.

The regulator says Mallari-Harteveld’s conduct was “unsatisfactory” in respect to: the boundaries in the nurse-client relationship, preventing nurse-to-client transmission of communicable diseases, consent, ethical practice, knowledge-based practice, and professional responsibility and accountability.

However, the College gives no specific details about what Mallari-Harteveld did.

College records show Mallari-Harteveld works at Maple Ridge Seniors Village and has a history of regulatory intervention.

In 2011, she had limits and conditions put on her practice, which stayed in place for several years before being removed in June 2014. This is her first suspension.

It’s unknown how many years Mallari-Harteveld has been a licensed nurse, but in 2008, she was a BC Nursing Union steward.

The College says it is satisfied that the terms will address the issues and protect the public.