A Prince Albert nurse who posted to Facebook about her grandfather’s treatment in a long-term care facility has been found guilty of professional misconduct.
A Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association disciplinary committee found Carolyn Strom guilty in a written decision issued earlier this fall.
The committee ruled Strom violated The Registered Nurses Act when she wrote about what she called the “subpar” treatment of her grandfather.
She violated the act by harming the reputation of nursing staff at the facility and undermining the public’s confidence in the staff, the committee ruled. She also did not use the appropriate channels to bring forward her complaints or conduct herself professionally when using social media, the ruling stated.
Strom, who’s been a nurse since 2004, argued during hearings in February and March the SRNA’s standards and code of ethics did not apply to her Facebook post. She was not part of her grandfather’s health-care team and was not acting as a registered nurse when she wrote the statement.
The SRNA committee, however, pointed in their ruling to sections of her Facebook comments in which she identified herself as a nurse. Her posts were connected to her position as a nurse, the committee stated.
A hearing to decide a penalty for Strom will be scheduled for a later date.
