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 visitor, according to the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives.

The individual, who has not been named, was involved in an encounter with a man who was "acting erratically" in the fall of 2020, according to a consent agreement published on March 1.

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 document, the nurse "in an agitated and shaken state, struck him in the head with an umbrella, leaving a mark," according to 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 evaluation, which found a connection between "conduct concerns and medical conditions."

According to the BCCNM, the nurse voluntarily agreed to conditions on their practice, including a suspension of their nursing registration for two months.

BCCNM noted that the nurse had been "reflective" of their actions and that they had completed anger management and professionalism coursework.

The nurse agreed to the following conditions:

• a period of supervision of their nursing practice for nine months
• a limit preventing them from 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.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.