Suspension for BC nurse who stole narcotics, doctored the paperwork

A BC nurse has been suspended for four weeks for swiping narcotics from work and then doctoring the paperwork.

According to a March 3 BC College of Nurses and Midwives decision, Aldergrove-based licensed practical nurse Shelly Doell pilfered the narcotics for a two-month period between February and March 2025.

The nursing regulator gives no details of how Doell was caught, what quantities of narcotics she took or why. The College’s records say she worked at Jackman Manor, a seniors’ long-term care facility in Aldergrove.

The nurse signed a consent agreement with the College admitting to “diverting narcotics and falsifying medical records.”

“(Doell) has agreed to a four-week suspension and to not return to nursing until deemed fit to practice by an independent medical report,” the decision reads.

The vast majority of nurses avoid having their names made public, with the College citing a “causal relationship” or a “diagnosed disability” as the reason they stole the narcotics.

It’s not known why Doell has had her name made public, but she can add her name to a list of a handful of nurses who get caught stealing drugs each year.

In January, a BC nurse managed to avoid a suspension after being caught stealing medication from work.

Last fall, a nurse who spent six months swiping narcotics from work, and doctoring the paperwork to cover it up, also managed to avoid a suspension, but will be monitored for three years.

Another nurse caught for the second time taking narcotics from work also avoided a suspension but was put under supervision.

In 2024, a nurse who replaced stolen drugs with over-the-counter medication received a one-week suspension. A year earlier, a nurse received a three-month suspension after they were found to have been taking narcotics from work for seven years.

In this case, the regulator states it is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.