Nurse reprimanded for incident in ER
A woman has been reprimanded for not following the standards during an incident while working as an emergency room nurse.
The BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) said Katherine Lowe of Kelowna, a registered nurse, found an Indigenous person apparently pulseless and unresponsive in the vestibule of the emergency department of an unnamed hospital in September 2021.
“Ms. Lowe did not adequately assess or perform any resuscitative measures for them, concluding they were deceased. Further, she did not meet documentation standards related to the said incident,” the college stated on its website.
An inquiry committee panel approved a consent agreement between the BCCNM and Lowe to address practice issues that occurred during the incident, measures designed to protect the public.
“The registrant allowed her registration to lapse, but has agreed to a public reprimand for her breach of ethical practice, documentation, client-focused provision of care, and duty to provide care standards,” the panel ruled.
Should Lowe successfully reapply for registration in B.C., the college said she has voluntarily agreed to terms equivalent to a limit and/or condition on her practice, including:
A suspension of her nursing registration for two months; and
- Remedial education in documentation, ethics, and Indigenous cultural safety.
- Remedial education in documentation, ethics, and Indigenous cultural safety.