A Nurse Has Been Suspended For Hitting A Hospital Visitor On The Head With An Umbrella In BC

A registered nurse has been suspended for hitting a hospital visitor over the head with an umbrella and "leaving a mark" on the victim, a panel reports.

The individual, who has not been named in the disciplinary consent agreement notes, was involved in an encounter with a man who was "acting erratically" in October and November 2020.

The visitor was said to have been targeting the nurse with "demeaning and aggressive comments and gestures."

During another encounter at the hospital, which has not been named in the documents, the nurse "in an agitated and shaken state, struck him in the head with an umbrella, leaving a mark," according to the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM).

The document also reports that the nurse "engaged in volatile communication with or about colleagues on two occasions and interacted twice with colleagues in ways they experienced as either overly familiar or inappropriate."

Following the incident, the nurse had a medical examination which found a connection between "conduct concerns and medical conditions."

In a decision posted on March 1, 2022, the BCCNM ruled that the nurse should be suspended for two months.

They noted that the nurse had been "reflective" for their actions and that they had completed anger management coursework.

As part of the hearing, the nurse agreed to the following conditions:

• a period of supervision of their nursing practice for nine months.
• a limit precluding being the sole or in-charge registered nurse on duty or working night shifts for six months.
• a limit on supervising students for one year.