Three Manitoba nurses censured for inappropriate behaviour

A Manitoba nurse has been disciplined for inappropriate behaviour towards students including what is being described as unwanted touching.

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba listed three recent censures of Manitoba nurses. The most recent details a supervising nurse’s unprofessional conduct while he worked as a clinical education facilitator at the University of Manitoba in 2023.

The behaviour, examined by a college complaints committee, included reports from several students of unwanted touching, violating the confidentiality of students in a group chat and failing to properly report a needlestick injury.

The committee made the decision of censure — a discipline record applied to a nurse’s license — on April 9.

It called the behaviour a “serious breach of the trust placed in you by the University of Manitoba, the College, and, most importantly, the nursing students under your supervision.”

“As a (Clinical Education Facilitator), you held a position of trust and authority in relation to a group of vulnerable learners who depended on you for education, guidance, role modelling, and psychological and physical safety, the report says.

“Your conduct fell short of what is expected of a reasonable and prudent registered nurse in an educator role.”

The censured nurse must now pay $5,000 in costs associated with the investigation.

An earlier censure report from March 19, detailed how another nurse accessed personal health records in 2023 and 2024 of a person she was in a personal relationship with, but who was not under her care.

The nurse also provided a prescription for the child of a former colleague without going through the proper process and failing to file the proper documentation.

The committee said the nurse failed to uphold an “uncompromising obligation” all nurses have to protect a person’s privacy.

“Even dire personal concerns do not excuse this breach of confidentiality,” the report said.

Another censure decision from March 19 found a former nurse, who surrendered his certificate of practice in 2019, acted unprofessionally in his interactions with the college and its committee.

The conduct, described as “abusive, rude, insubordinate, and unprofessional” took place between 2016 and 2019.

It was found to have “undermined the role of the College’s mandate.”

The behaviour, the report said, also reflected negatively on the discipline of registered nursing.

The investigations committee then determined the nurse participated in a public podcast interview where he “communicated publicly in a manner that was grossly self-serving, malicious, and dishonest.”

“You prioritized your personal interests and reputation over your professional and ethical obligations as a professional,” the report said.

“Your conduct reflects extremely poor judgment and a failure to recognize your broader professional responsibilities.”

In both of the March 19 cases, the individuals censured were each fined $2,500.

morgan.modjeski@freepress.mb.ca