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Daniele Parmigiano, 9819947
Facts
The Member admitted that he engaged in professional misconduct in several problematic interactions with multiple patients. In one incident, while caring for a 74-year-old patient with Parkinson’s disease, the Member hung up the patient’s phone while he was speaking to his wife, slapped the patient across the cheek with a towel, removed the patient’s bib in a way that caused him pain, and left a jug of urine on the patient’s food tray. While caring for a different patient who needed assistive communications device to communicate, the Member entered the patient’s room after being informed that the patient had communicated that they were using the bedpan and were not ready to be examined. The Member did not communicate with the patient using their communication device, and then left the patient unnecessarily exposed and naked from the waist down while discussing their vaginal discharge.
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;
- abused two patients, verbally, physically and/or 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 Member signed an undertaking to permanently resign as a member of the College of Nurses of Ontario (“CNO”) and agreed not to apply for membership with CNO at any time in the future.
In light of the Member’s undertaking, CNO and the Member jointly sought an order requiring the Member to appear before the Panel for an oral reprimand.
The Panel accepted the joint submission on order, concluding that the proposed penalty was reasonable and in the public interest.
The Panel considered that the Member had taken responsibility for his actions by cooperating with CNO and agreeing to the facts and the joint submission on order. The Panel noted that the undertaking to permanently resign was the ultimate public protection.
