A nurse from Mill Bay has been suspended after it was discovered she restrained a patient in their room by tying a tensor bandage to the outside of their unit door during the first wave of COVID-19.
Susan Malloch, a nurse from Mill Bay, was working in a long-term care facility during the onset of COVID-19 when the incident occurred.
An inquiry into Malloch’s actions found that the nurse trapped a client at the facility in their room by tying a tensor bandage to the doorknob and securing it to a lift outside of the room.
This “effectively” placed the client into seclusion, according to the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives.
Additionally, the BCCNM said that prior to secluding the client with a tensor bandage, she administered a nebulizer without the order from a doctor. It is also recommended that nebulizers should not be used in long-term care facilities unless N95 masks are available.
The BCCNM and Malloch came to a consent agreement as of January 12, agreeing to a three-day suspension of her certificate of registration.
Malloch will also be required to complete remedial courses and be referred to a Regulatory Practice Consultant at the college of nurses.
After reviewing the consent agreement, an Inquiry Committee said it is “satisfied that the terms will protect the public.”
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Graham Cox
