Another BC nurse suspended for stealing narcotics from work

A BC nurse has been suspended for two weeks for stealing narcotics from work.

According to a March 17 BC College of Nurses and Midwives decision, the unnamed licensed practical nurse’s “narcotic diversion” took place between 2023 and February 2024.

The decision says the nurse was diagnosed with a disability with a connection to narcotic diversion and has agreed to comply with treatment recommendations.

“The (nursing 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,” the decision reads. “BC College of Nurses and Midwives expects that registrants will work only when they are fit to do so and will remove themselves from practise when they are unwell.”

The College says the nurse has been given a two-week suspension and will be medically monitored for five years.

The nurse is one of a handful who are caught each year pilfering narcotics from work.

Earlier this month, a Chilliwack nurse avoided a suspension after admitting to removing narcotics prescribed to patients.

The nurse’s punishment was similar to that of a nurse in January who avoided a suspension after being caught stealing narcotics from work. Last fall, a nurse who admitted to stealing drugs for six months also avoided being suspended.

However, earlier this month, an Aldergrove-based nurse received a four-week suspension for swiping drugs and then altering the paperwork.

In 2024, a nurse was given a one-week suspension for replacing narcotics with over-the-counter medication. In 2023, a nurse who’d been stealing narcotics from work for seven years received a three-month suspension.