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Kevin Linnen, 9608399
Facts
The Member admitted that he engaged in professional misconduct while practicing as a Nurse Practitioner in a Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic. The Member engaged in numerous inappropriate interactions with several patients. In one incident, the Member commented on a patient’s modeling career and appearance and engaged in inappropriate physical contact, such as running his fingers up and down her arm when drawing blood. While performing a pap smear on a different patient, the Member commented to her that her pelvic muscles were strong and that her “boyfriend must like that”. The Member asked another patient out to dinner and told her that she was “like the daughter he never had”. In addition, the Member inappropriately prescribed or overprescribed controlled substances and/or other medications to several patients, without conducting appropriate assessments, and failed to properly document these prescriptions in patients’ health records.
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:
- sexually abused a patient;
- 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;
- signed or issued, in his professional capacity, a document that he knew, or ought to have known contained a false or misleading statement;
- abused a patient, verbally, physically and emotionally; and
- engaged in conduct, relevant to the practice of nursing, that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, 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 10-month suspension;
- terms, conditions, and limitations including:
- attending at least 2 meetings with a Regulatory Expert;
- employer notification for 18 months;
- random spot audits of the Member’s practice for 12 months; and
- no independent practice for 18 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 the CNO and accepted responsibility by agreeing to the facts and the Joint Submission on Order.
The Panel also stated that the Member demonstrated a lack of integrity, dishonesty, abuse of power and disregard for the welfare and safety of the patients in his care and that the health profession will not tolerate this conduct. The Panel further noted that the Member’s conduct has brought shame not only on himself but also on the profession.
