BC nurse suspended for 3 days after drinking on shift, practising while drunk

A nurse has been suspended for three days after working while drunk.

The unnamed licensed practical nurse drank alcohol while on shift and practised “while impaired,” according to the BC College for Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).

The incident occurred on Aug. 9, 2023, and the nurse was disciplined on July 2, 2024.

According to the BCCNM, the nurse “admitted to a disability,” which the college has not named.

That disability has “a causal relationship” with the nurse’s drinking, the regulator said in a public bulletin, referencing “an independent medical report.”

The nurse will now be suspended for three days, be monitored for substance use and be prohibited from working overtime or supervising certain staff.

BCCNM justified its decision not to name the nurse by citing the Health Professions Act. The name has been withheld “for the purposes of not identifying a registrant or their personal health information respecting the condition that impaired their ability to practice nursing or midwifery.”