Pubdate: Tue, 12 May 2009
Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB)
Copyright: 2009 Canoe Limited Partnership
Contact:  http://www.winnipegsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503
Author: Steve Lambert, Canadian Press

OSWALD DEFENDS NAMING OF DRUG, DRINK ABUSING NURSES

(CP) - Manitoba's health minister is defending the practice of 
publishing the names of nurses who are sanctioned for repeatedly 
abusing drugs or alcohol.

Theresa Oswald has all but ruled out a request from the Manitoba 
Nurses Union, which is calling for a new law to limit what can be 
revealed publicly about disciplinary action taken by the College of 
Registered Nurses of Manitoba. That's the agency that regulates 
nursing across the province.

Oswald says the public's right to know outstrips the privacy concerns 
of nurses who feel they're being unfairly humiliated.

"Protection of the public needs to be paramount," Oswald said yesterday.

"There must be steps in place with the colleges to ensure that 
individuals can get support and get help and be able to recover ... 
but once we get to an extreme situation, perhaps repeat offences and 
so forth, then the protection of the public needs to be taken into 
consideration."

The college regularly prints the names of nurses disciplined for a 
wide variety of offences in its magazine, which is also available on 
its website. The magazine includes details of what offending nurses 
are ordered to do, such as undergo counselling.

In the case of one small-town nurse, her name was published earlier 
this year after she was accused of breaching a previous order to 
abstain from alcohol and drugs. The board ordered her to enter rehab 
and attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Her colleagues, saying she 
had been the victim of a public shaming, asked the union to step in.

The union agrees that the public needs to be warned about serious 
offenders, such as those who abuse patients, but feels addiction 
problems should be treated with discretion.

"What's to be gained by humiliating these nurses and naming them in 
public?" asked union president Sandi Mowat.

Manitoba's approach is believed to be one of the most public in the 
country. Ontario has open discipline for nurses accused of serious 
offences, but there is a private, non-disciplinary process for 
addiction-related issues.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom