Nurses charged with forgery after patient found dead outside Cape Breton hospital
79-year-old man found dead outside Cape Breton Regional Hospital in February
Two nurses are being charged with forgery following an investigation by police and the medical examiner into the death of a 79-year-old man found outside the Cape Breton Regional Hospital in February.
Tammy Carrigan-Warner, 41, of Sydney, and Valerie MacGillivary, 47, of Glace Bay, are both former employees of the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Health authority CEO Janet Knox said Tuesday the two were nurses. She said both were let go from their jobs "almost immediately" after the incident.
On Feb. 23, the man was found unresponsive on the sidewalk outside the hospital. Foul play was ruled out.
Documentation about the status of the patient during the overnight hours of Feb. 22 was allegedly forged, a Cape Breton Regional Police news release said.
Incident preventable, says CEO
The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia and the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia have launched a joint investigation into the conduct of the two nurses, according to a statement.
The statement said there will be a "comprehensive investigation" and if licensing sanctions result, they will be made public.
Knox told reporters in Halifax that officials believe the incident was preventable and a quality review has been launched. Officials have also apologized to the patient's family, she said.
"It is a very unfortunate, very sad incident," Knox said. "Folks have talked with the family. This is very, very hard for them, and I want to say that we're very sorry. This should not be something that happens to people."
No further comment
Knox said there would be no comment on the circumstances of the case now that the police are involved.
The quality review will look at opportunities to improve services and improve the outcomes for patients. Knox said if issues are identified, immediate action will be taken.
"Our ability as an organization to be safe and to be focused on safety means that we have to be nimble. And so as we begin reviews, we do not wait to have this all completed and say, 'Well, now we need to change things.' As we're learning, we would share with our team members in terms of what we might have been able to do differently."
With files from Michael Gorman