B.C.’s College of Nurses and Midwives has suspended a Surrey nurse for 60 days after she improperly accessed patient files over a period of 19 months.
A panel of the college inquiry committee said licensed practical nurse Jennifer Wilson accessed her own medical records plus those of two family members and 97 other people.
“She was not entitled to view those records,” the college said in a .
As part of a consent agreement with the college, Wilson’s nursing registration has been suspended for 60 days. She was also issued a public reprimand and must take remedial education on ethics, boundaries and consent.
The college is one of 18 regulatory bodies empowered under the Health Professions Act to regulate health professions in B.C. It regulates the practice of four distinct professions: nursing, practical nursing, psychiatric nursing and midwifery.
Similar legislation in other self-regulated areas such as the legal and notary public professions also allows citizens to know about discipline issues in the public interest.
“The inquiry committee is satisfied that the terms will protect the public,” the college said.
