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Valerie L. Martyn, 9709601
Facts
The Member admitted that she engaged in professional misconduct. In December 2019, while providing overnight in-home nursing services to a two-year-old patient, the Member failed to properly monitor the patient when she fell asleep beside the patient’s crib on several occasions, left the patient’s room for an extended period while the patient’s oximeter was off and turned off the patient’s oximeter. The Member also roughly repositioned the patient when attempting to put him back to sleep and failed to make any clinical nursing notes during several shifts.
Discipline Committee’s Findings
Based on the Member’s admissions, a panel of the Discipline Committee of the College of Nurses of Ontario (the “Panel”) found that the Member:
- contravened a standard of practice of the profession or failed to meet the standards of practice of the profession;
- failed to keep records as required; and
- engaged in conduct or performed an act, relevant to the practice of nursing, that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as dishonourable and unprofessional.
Discipline Committee’s Order
The College of Nurses of Ontario (“CNO”) and the Member presented the Panel with a Joint Submission on Order requesting that the Panel make an order that included the following:
- an oral reprimand;
- a 2-month suspension; and
- terms, conditions and limitations including:
- attending 2 meetings with a Regulatory Expert;
- employer notification for 12 months; and
- random documentation spot audits for 12 months.
The Panel accepted the Joint Submission on Order, concluding that the proposed order was reasonable and in the public interest. The Panel noted that the Member cooperated with the CNO and accepted responsibility by agreeing to the facts and the proposed order.
The Panel further noted that the order demonstrates that failing to monitor patients appropriately, failing to document assessments and handling patients in a rough and impatient manner will not be tolerated.
