Another BC nurse caught swiping drugs and falsifying paperwork

A BC nurse who spent six months swiping narcotics from work, and then falsified paperwork to cover it up, will be monitored for the next three years.

According to a Sept. 19 BC College of Nurses and Midwives decision, the unnamed registered nurse swiped the drugs between May and November for their own personal use.

The nursing regulator said the nurse then undermined “the integrity of medical records to obscure the diversion.”

The decision said the nurse admitted to taking the narcotics and was diagnosed with substance abuse issues. The nurse has since undergone intensive treatment.

“(The regulator) recognizes that nurses and midwives, like any member of the public, may grapple with health issues that may impact their ability to practice safely, competently, and ethically. BC College of Nurses and Midwives expects that (nurses) will work only when they are fit to do so and will remove themselves from practice when they are unwell,” the decision read.

The registered nurses signed a consent agreement admitting to their behaviour.

“The (nurse) has agreed to undergo formalized medical monitoring for a minimum period of three years to demonstrate abstinence from substance abuse, and to return to nursing practice with limits on their ability to access and/or handle narcotics, and associated medications, while engaging with their employer’s disability office as they continue on their recovery journey,” the decision read.

The nurse won’t be allowed to work overtime, be in charge or be assigned students.

The nurse is one of a handful so far this year who have been caught stealing narcotics from work.

In May, a BC nurse was disciplined after being caught pilfering narcotics for the second time.

Early this year, a nurse who was taking drugs while at work received a week’s suspension of her licence.

Other nurses have falsified medical records to cover up that they’d pinched the drugs.

Last September, a nurse was given a one-week suspension after they replaced the drugs with over-the-counter medication.

Two years ago, a nurse received a three-month suspension after she was found to have been swiping drugs from work for seven years.