Of the 459,005 registered employees, 6,337 are registered psychiatric nurses in Canada.
Kingston General Hospital located in Ontario, Canada, has fired a woman who used forged documents to pose as a nurse for at least 6 months.
According to what was reported by local media, the woman used false information to pose as a registered nurse, the Kingston Health Sciences Center said in a news release. He mainly worked in the post-surgical unit at Kingston General Hospital from July 22, 2022 to January 27 of this year.
The Kingston Health Sciences Center (KHSC) has launched an investigation following the dismissal of the woman who was found to have fraudulently obtained employment with KHSC by submitting false information.
“This individual went to significant lengths to fraudulently obtain employment with KHSC, including providing extensive falsified documentation of their qualifications and credentials,” says Jason Hann, executive vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer.
“The fraudulent activity was identified through a routine scheduled check with the CNO, which is completed for all nurses employed at KHSC and we promptly took steps to terminate the individual’s employment.”
The KHSC says it has informed the appropriate authorities, including the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and the Kingston police. In addition to conducting its own internal investigation, KHSC says it will fully cooperate with any investigation by these outside agencies.
According to the official statement from the health center, Internal research will focus on the impact on patients and their families. The hospital is in the process of contacting individual patients and families who were cared for by the former employee to provide more information about their findings.
Dr. David Pichora, president and chief executive officer, said the hospital will work directly with affected patients, families and staff to provide more direct feedback on its findings.
“We understand the stress and anxiety this news may cause our patients and the rest of the KHSC staff. We will work directly with affected patients, families and staff to address their concerns,” said Dr. Pichora.
Similar cases
Similarly, the case of the nurse, Brigitte Cleroux, who also posed as a nurse in Canada, but this time took place in the province of British Columbia, is currently resonating.
According to court documents, about 900 people were treated by Brigitte Cleroux who posed as a nurse at the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Center in the province of British Columbia for a year.
According to local media, the lawsuits describe Cleroux’s negligence while working at the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre. These lawsuits include discharging a patient prematurely, negligently started IVs, IVs stuck in the muscles, uncontrolled pain, and giving patients too much pain medication.
Cleroux, who does not have a nursing degree, worked at the BC Women’s Hospital between June 1, 2020 and June 23, 2021, until she was fired for her false credentials. Brigitte Cleroux, was sentenced to seven years in prison, but with the time served so far she will spend five years and eight months behind bars.
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