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Reprimanded B.C. nurse slammed door in patient's face

Elaine McQuade must take remedial education in professional accountability and responsibility and ethics.
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Registered nurses in B.C. are regulated by the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives.

B.C.’s College of Nurses and Midwives has reprimanded a Nanaimo nurse for inappropriate behaviour that involved patients in her care.

A March 14 public notice said the college inquiry committee had approved a consent agreement with Elaine McQuade to deal with practice issues that had been identified.

Those issues included slamming a door in a patient’s face, raising her voice to two people in her care, not completing wound care for one resident, not following appropriate practice standards in administering oral medication to two residents and not communicating with subordinate staff in a professional or respectful manner.

The college said McQuade voluntarily agreed to a public reprimand and to taking remedial education in professional accountability and responsibility and ethics.

The college is 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.