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Zahra Mollanedjad, JE100044
Facts
The Member admitted that she engaged in professional misconduct. At the time of the incident, the Member was working a night shift in a geriatric psychiatry unit (the “Unit”). The Member did not regularly work on the Unit. During her shift, the Member was assigned to an elderly patient with moderate to advanced dementia. Despite appearing calm, the Member and three nursing colleagues transferred the patient from a geri-chair to a Broda chair in the Unit’s dining room. The Member observed her colleagues apply a pelvic restraint to the patient. Neither the Member nor her colleagues assessed the appropriateness of the restraint nor documented the application of the restraint or the rationale for applying the restraint. The patient was left restrained in the Unit’s dining room for approximately 5.5 hours. During this time, the Member and her colleagues failed to appropriately observe and monitor the patient, or continually assess the ongoing need for restraints.
The Member did not believe she received adequate training on the Unit, and in particular, with respect to the application of restraints. However, the Member did not inform the facility or her colleagues that she was unable to accept responsibility for patients with respect to the use of restraints because she lacked appropriate training.
In the early morning, the Member’s colleague transported the patient back to his room. None of the nurses notified the on-call manager that the patient had died. The Member falsely charted that the patient was in his bed during the time that the patient remained restrained in the Broda chair. The Member later provided inaccurate information during the facility’s investigation into the patient’s death.
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 inform the facility of the member’s inability to accept responsibility in areas where special training is required, or where the member was not competent to function without supervision;
- physically and emotionally abused a client;
- failed to keep records as required;
- falsified a record relating to the Member’s practice; and
- engaged in conduct, 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 4-month suspension; and
- terms, conditions and limitations including:
- attending at least 2 meetings with a Regulatory Expert;
- employer notification for 24 months;
- random spot audits of the Member’s documentation; and
- no independent practice for 24 months.
The Panel accepted the Joint Submission on Order, concluding that the proposed penalty was reasonable and in the public interest. The Panel noted that the Member cooperated with CNO and accepted responsibility by agreeing to the facts and a proposed order. The Panel further stated that nurses must follow and adhere to policies, procedures and CNO standards of practice in order to provide strong, client-centred care.
