The Nursing Magazine

There's nothing more thrilling than Cherie's "free" nursing magazines. I say free as we certainly don't subscribe to them but I'm sure a membership due pays for their thrilling publication.

"The Standard" is one of the magazines - this one comes quarterly and contains the only really fun thing in any of them: Summarized Discipline Decisions. This is where the College of Nurses publishes some of the punishments they have doled out. "By publishing these decisions, the College educates nurses (and their spouses and his loyal blog readers) and informs the public about what does and does not constitute professional misconduct and incompetence. I know, you are all thrilled about what is to come. While the beginning is a little dry...just...you...wait!

Our first story comes out of Welland, ON where Gayle is alleged to have committed acts of professional misconduct by pre-pouring medications and then failing to check if an order has been changed; giving "as required" medications without checking if they were needed and failing to notify her employer that her College registarion was duspended during 18 months of her employment (shouldn't her employee already know that...but I digress). Anyways, there's a bunch of blah blah blah and "The Panel" decides the evidence is clear and the verdict was clear: Revocation of the member's Certificate of Registration. Poor Gayle, she is no longer a nurse.

Story #2 is about Gerard from Hamilton. He is alleged to of committed acts of professional misconduct by presenting false information before a College Discipline Panel. He's been a nurse sine 1978. In 1982, he had a criminal record for dangerous driving. In 1984, HE SHOT A BOUNCER DURING AN ALTERCATION AND WAS CONVICTED OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND SENTENCED TO LIFE INPRISONMENT WITH NO PAROLE FOR 10 YEARS. In 1999, five years after his release (this itself worthy of a blog) he gets a job providing in home nursing care. Yeah - STILL A NURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyways, he gets this job and its discovered in 1992 that he has a criminal record. Goes on parole and then his parole officer discovers that he's a drunk and a pot smoker. His parole is revoked, goes back to jail and is now back out and living in a half-way house and in counselling for drug abuse. His sentence? An oral reprimand and a 90-day suspension and his employers for the next 12 months have to get a copy of this decision.

So let me sum this up -
Gayle: prepoured medicine - not a nurse
Gerard - shot a man - still a nurse!!!!

Whoa, the College of Nurses needs to give their combined heads a shake. In the meantime, I thank them for their quarterly magazine and look forward to reading the discipline decisions again in 3 months!