A BC nurse is facing consequences after it was discovered she helped produce fake vaccine cards last year..A notice posted Friday by the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) says registered nurse Sarah Jones of Castlegar is facing a six-month suspension for professional misconduct..The college says she used her "position, experience, credibility in public health, and her knowledge of the vaccination system” to assist in the fraudulent creation of four vaccine cards..The notice further highlights that Jones had presented varied versions of events to her employer, witnesses, and the regulator, deeming her conduct “a marked ethical departure from the conduct expected of a nurse.”.Jones entered into a consent agreement with the college and has agreed to undergo “remedial education in professional ethics” in addition to her six month suspension.."Unbelievable! There should be criminal charges. This act took effort and determination. I’m so mad,” one BC nurse wrote on social media in response to the notice..“There are no excuses. She should be fired, lose her nursing licence, be criminally charged with fraud, and fade away into oblivion, or jail,” wrote another..However, not all of Jones’ counterparts had condemnatory things to say about her actions. Many applauded the move as necessary in the face of what they perceive to be unjust mandates..It was a requirement in BC to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to access a wide range of services from September 13, 2021 to April 8, 2022..Under a provincial health order, BC healthcare workers in hospitals, long-term care, and community care settings must still be vaccinated against COVID in order to work..The BC Public Service Agency also requires its 30,000 employees to have been twice injected, and the province has not provided a timeline for when the workers will be allowed to return..Another BC Interior nurse faced disciplinary actions earlier this month for directing care staff at an unnamed facility to bring residents who would “not sleep or rang their bell frequently” to the dining room..Once the residents were brought into the dining room, staff were directed by Feizal Halim to open the windows, turn off the lights, not provide coffee, snacks, or blankets..The notice also highlights Halim refused to assist a resident with toileting needs and spoke to them “inappropriately and disrespectfully.”.In contrast to Jones’ six-month suspension, Halim was suspended for one week, highlighting the seriousness of which the BCCNM addresses vaccine-related matters.
