A $26,000 fine has been handed down to a Prince Albert nurse who violated Saskatchewan’s Registered Nurses Act with a Facebook post about her grandfather’s treatment.

Carolyn Strom was issued the penalty Tuesday by the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association. Most of the fine — $25,000 of the $26,000 — is meant to refund the SRNA for the costs of the investigation into her post and the resulting hearings.

Strom was found guilty last October of professional misconduct by an SRNA disciplinary committee. The committee ruled she violated the registered nurses’ act when, in February 2015, she wrote about what she called the “subpar” treatment of her grandfather in a long-term care facility in Macklin, Sask.

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.

The case is not criminal in nature.

Strom’s lawyer argued at her penalty hearing in February she be fined no more than $1,000, while the SRNA’s lawyer called for a penalty of $30,000.

A GoFundMe campaign set up this week is aiming to help Strom pay the fine.

“As nurses, nursing students and nursing faculty in Canada, we are deeply disturbed by the SRNA's treatment of Carolyn Strom and wish to show our solidarity,” the page description reads.

“Nurses are healthcare professionals and as such are rightfully held to high standards. They should always act in the best interest of the people they care for. But those standards should NOT include self-censorship and renouncing their right to speak-up.”

Strom must pay the $25,000 penalty by April 1, 2020, according to the decision document. The $1,000 fine must be paid by July 1, 2017.

She must also complete Canadian Nurses Association’s code of ethics training as well as review the code and nurse standards policies — and write self-reflective essays on each — if she is to continue practicing as a nurse, the decision states.