Mill Bay nurse reprimanded after using tensor bandage to lock patient in room

A discipline notice posted by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) says that the nurse, Susan Malloch of Mill Bay, received a temporary suspension for actions she took in May 2020.

The notice says that the registered nurse restrained a client in their room by tying a tensor bandage to the doorknob and securing it to a lift outside the room —effectively placing the patient in seclusion.

The nurse also administered a nebulizer to a patient, absent of a physician order and against recommendations made to long term care facilities that nebulizers should not be used unless N95 masks are available.

The BCCNM said that the nurse voluntarily agreed to “terms equivalent to a condition on practice.”

The terms include a three-day suspension of her certificate of registration. She must also complete a remedial course and referral to a Regulatory Practice Consultant at BCCNM.