Toughest penalty yet for BC nurse who snooped on medical records

A BC nurse has been handed the stiffest penalty so far for snooping on medical records she wasn't authorized to see.

According to a Nov. 28 BC College of Nurses and Midwives consent agreement, Vancouver Island licenced practical nurse Lindsey Rints has been suspended for eight months for peeking at medical records and sharing their content.

The Duncan-based nurse snooped on the record in October 2022, although the regulator didn't say how many records she looked at or who she shared the information with.

"Nurses are only permitted to access personal and health information for purposes that are consistent with their professional responsibilities and are not permitted to access the health records of patients who are not in their care," the College's consent agreement said. "Additionally, nurses may only disclose personal and health information as required to meet their professional responsibilities and/or as required under the law."

The decision didn't say where she worked at the time, but its website has her employer as the Amica on the Gorge senior retirement residence. The seniors' care centre confirmed Rints was not working there in October 2022 when she accessed the records.

Rints was suspended for eight months, the longest suspension given out for accessing medical records in recent years.

Of the more than 60 nurses disciplined by the regulator this year, Rints' suspension is longer than any other nurse regardless of what they did.

The only nurse who received a harsher penalty lost their license after being criminally convicted of sex crimes.

Early this year, two nurses who doctored their timesheets claimed more than $20,000 for hours they didn't work, and received shorter suspensions of four and six months.

In September 2023, the regulator suspended an Interior Health nurse for four months after it said she had a "wanton disregard" for patient privacy and "no remorse."

In early 2023, a West Kelowna nurse was suspended for 10 weeks for accessing confidential medical records and then sending harassing text messages.

READ MORE: Human Rights Tribunal rules Kamloops doctor's medical notes were 'discrimination'

Other suspensions for snooping on medical records range from seven days to six months.

The College didn't say why it handed out the toughest disciplinary action of the year to the licenced practical nurse, who signed a consent agreement admitting to her behaviour.

Two years ago, former Information and Privacy Commissioner Michael McEvoy said that medical records in the province's medical records were "disturbingly" vulnerable to leaks.

However, since the report was released the issue has continued with a handful of nurses being caught each year.

Along with her suspension, Rints will also have to take courses on ethics, privacy and boundaries.

The regulator said it's satisfied that the terms will protect the public.

UPDATE: This story was updated at 12:20 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, to clarify that Rints was not working at Amica on the Gorge when the breach happened.

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