The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives has disciplined a Campbell River nurse for unsafe medication problems while she worked in a long-term care facility.
On June 23, a college inquiry committee panel approved an agreement with Keely Sherick involving failure to adhere to professional and practice standards including:
• unsafe medication administration;
• failing to appropriately document narcotic and controlled medication records;
• failing to follow facility policies and procedures related to receiving and transcribing orders;
• pronouncing death without an order;
• failing to report a known medication error; and,
• not collaborating effectively with members of the care team.
The panel said Sherick has agreed to practice conditions and limitations including:
• direct and indirect supervision of their nursing practice for three months;
• a limit that upon returning to work at any place of employment that she undergoes a thorough orientation;
• a limit prohibiting her from being the sole nurse on duty and providing supervision or orientation to staff; and,
• taking remedial education in documentation, safe medication administration, professional accountability and responsibility, and ethics.
The college is currently one of 18 regulatory bodies empowered under the Health Professions Act to regulate health professions in B.C. It regulates the practice of four distinct professions: nursing, practical nursing, psychiatric nursing and midwifery.
Similar legislation in other self-regulated areas such as the legal and notary public professions also allows citizens to know about discipline issues in the public interest.
“The inquiry committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public,” the college said.
