NURSE'S METHADONE MISTAKE A RESULT OF FLAWS IN SYSTEM, UNION HEAD SAYS

The fatal mistake made by a rookie nurse in a methadone overdose
death at a Maple Ridge prison points to systemic flaws in B.C.'s
health system, the B.C. Nurses Union says.

As The Province reported Wednesday, a confidential B.C. Corrections
review shows a nurse on her second orientation shift - who should
only have been shadowing a regular nurse - was responsible for
supplying methadone to a 32-year-old inmate at Fraser Regional
Correctional Centre.

Because of a staff shortage the nurse was apparently asked to go out
on methadone rounds without proper training and supervision. The
review suggests the 32-year-old man used a borrowed identification
card to trick the nurse into supplying methadone that was prescribed
to go to a cellmate.

The review also showed the man should never have been housed with a
methadone program inmate.

President Debra McPherson says the union advocated for the rookie
nurse in a B.C. Corrections investigation, and as far as McPherson
knows, the nurse was not disciplined by management.

One of the factors to consider is the nurse was thrown into a
situation of serving 40 inmates she had never met, in a challenging
and potentially dangerous environment.

"Let's not focus on the mistake the nurse made here," McPherson said.
"It is bad and I'm sure she feels very bad. But these types of things
happen every day in facilities across the province, where we have
staff working short, often inexperienced, and they are told to 'just
get it done.'"

B.C. Corrections says after the review it worked with the private
health contractor involved, Calibre Health, "to ensure when a new
staff member is being oriented, there is appropriate supervision in place."

But, already a new private contractor has replaced Calibre Health at
FRCC, which raises concerns that lessons learned will be lost, McPherson said.