Discipline Decisions

From time to time, the College of Nursing of New Brunswick receives reports that individuals who are not a Registered Nurse (RN) or Nurse Practitioner (NP) who may be seeking employment or holding themselves out as persons qualified to practise in New Brunswick.

Employers are strongly encouraged to use Find a Nurse to verify the membership status of every RN or NP they employ directly or through an agency.

The following names represent only those individuals who have come to the attention of the College. Contact the College at reg-imm@cnnb-opinb.ca if you are aware of any of these individuals actively seeking employment or working in the nursing profession.

• Donna Collins
• Carol Lepage

NANB Statement Regarding the Registration Status of Donna Collins

NANB frequently receives inquiries regarding the registration status of Donna Collins. Donna Collins was actively registered with NANB as a Registered Nurse from 2000–2012 and as a Nurse Practitioner from 2012–2013. Her registration with NANB expired on December 31, 2013, after which she was no longer authorized to practice nursing or use the titles Registered Nurse (RN) or Nurse Practitioner (NP).

Following a disciplinary hearing on November 22, 2017, Ms. Collins was reprimanded by the Discipline Committee and issued a fine for improper use of actual and fictitious nursing designations such as RN, NP, “RN+” and “DNP”, while not being a registered member of NANB.  Donna Collins has not been registered with NANB since December 31, 2013. She is not authorized to practice nursing in New Brunswick, to hold herself out as a person authorized to practice nursing, or to use such designations.

Discipline Committee Decision Summary

View case

In a decision dated July 26, 2021, the NANB Discipline Committee found that Kassandra Kirsten Braun, registration number 030193, was admittedly loud and used inappropriate and disrespectful language in front of patients, she admitted that she took food from patients’ meal trays after patients had refused them, she provided outside food to patients that could have conflicted with their prescribed dietary restrictions, and she demonstrated a lack of understanding of her role as a Registered Nurse and a lack of respect for the privacy and dignity of sensitive and emotional medical conversations.  The Committee found that Ms. Braun violated the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, the NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses, and the NANB Standards for the Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship.

The Committee ordered that the suspension of Ms. Braun’s registration by the Complaints Committee on May 7, 2020, be continued until specific conditions are met.  When those conditions are met, Ms. Braun will be eligible to apply for a conditional registration.

View case

In a decision dated July 12, 2021, the NANB Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee reprimanded Melanie L’Anglais, registration number 026694 for violating the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, the NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses, the NANB Practice Standard for Medication Administration (as it was then called), and the NANB Standards for Documentation when she stole Dilaudid from her workplace on several occasions in 2018 and falsified documentation to make it appear that narcotics were discarded when she had stolen them for her personal use.  Based on medical evidence and Ms. L’Anglais’ testimony, the Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee found that Ms. L’Anglais is fit to return to the practice of nursing with certain restrictions.  The Committee ordered that the suspension imposed on her registration by the Registrar on August 17, 2018, be lifted and that conditions be imposed on Ms. L’Anglais’ registration.

View case

In a decision dated May 31, 2021, the NANB Discipline Committee found that Karen Anne Belliveau, registration number 017418, failed to assess and/or identify significant changes in a patient’s condition and failed to take appropriate action in relation to the patient’s declining health status. Ms. Belliveau chose not to attend the hearing, which demonstrated a lack of accountability for her practice, showed disrespect for the proceedings of the Committee, and demonstrated an unwillingness to be governed.

The Committee reprimanded Ms. Belliveau for violating the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses and the NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses. The Committee suspended Ms. Belliveau’s registration until specific conditions are met. When those conditions are met, Ms. Belliveau will be eligible to apply for a conditional registration. The Committee also ordered that Ms. Belliveau pay a portion of the costs of the proceedings related to the Complaint.

View case

In a decision dated May 20, 2021, the NANB Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee accepted the Alternate Complaint Resolution Proposal (“ACRP”) submitted by Anne Boudreau, registration number 017629.  As a result of the admissions made in the ACRP, the Committee found that Ms. Boudreau’s actions (which included regularly asking her colleagues for money and food, stealing food and personal supplies from her employer, taking patients’ food, being distracted at work by calls and internet searches for financial loans, and working while unable to concentrate, make decisions, perform basic nursing care, or appropriately calculate medication dosages) constituted dishonesty and conduct unbecoming a member of NANB, and demonstrated that she was unfit to practice nursing. Ms. Boudreau stated that she does not wish to return to the practice of nursing.

The Committee reprimanded Ms. Boudreau for dishonesty and for conduct unbecoming a member of NANB. The Committee ordered that Ms. Boudreau’s registration be revoked, and that she will only be eligible to apply for reinstatement with a conditional registration when she submits satisfactory evidence of her fitness to practice nursing.

View case

On May 19, 2021, the NANB Complaints Committee suspended the registration of Tina Harding, registration number 026864, pending the outcome of proceedings before the Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee.

View case

In a decision dated May 13, 2021, the NANB Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee accepted the Alternate Complaint Resolution Proposal (“ACRP”) submitted by Sarah Littlejohn, registration number 028005.   As a result of the admissions made in the ACRP, the Committee found that Ms. Littlejohn’s actions (including diverting narcotics from her workplace, working while under the influence of narcotics, and falsifying medical records) constituted professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming a member of NANB, disregard for the welfare of patients, and dishonesty. Ms. Littlejohn admitted and the Committee found that she failed to adhere to required narcotic control procedures, NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses, NANB Standards for Documentation, and the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses.

The Committee ordered that the suspension of Ms. Littlejohn’s registration be continued until specific conditions are met.  When those conditions are met, Ms. Littlejohn will be eligible to apply for a conditional registration.

View case

In a decision dated May 12, 2021, the NANB Discipline Committee found that Pamela Anne Harvey, registration number 022890, ordered that patients be restrained without assessing other alternatives, inappropriately administered medications, failed to document according to the NANB Standards for Documentation, demonstrated no understanding of the importance of accurate documentation, and avoided therapeutic relationships with patients in favour of using medications.  Ms. Harvey did not demonstrate insight into her nursing practice deficiencies, took no accountability for them and did not demonstrate that she has the knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe, competent, ethical nursing care.

The Discipline Committee reprimanded Ms. Harvey for violating the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, the NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses, the NANB Standards for Documentation, the NANB Practice Standard for Medication Administration, and the NANB Standards for the Therapeutic Nurse-Client Relationship. The Committee ordered that the suspension of Ms. Harvey’s registration be continued until specific conditions are met. When those conditions are met, Ms. Harvey will be eligible to apply for a conditional registration. The Committee also ordered that Ms. Harvey pay a fine and a portion of the costs of the proceedings related to the Complaint.

View case

In a decision dated April 20, 2021, the NANB Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee found that Alison Gray, registration number 024023, was guilty of professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming a member of NANB.  The Committee found that Ms. Gray yelled at patients, used derogatory language to refer to patients, refused to provide care to vulnerable patients resulting in some patients becoming incontinent, removed the call bell from patients’ hands out of frustration, physically handled a patient in an aggressive and unsafe manner, treated her colleagues with disrespect, threw or slammed files and other objects, and other such behaviour.  The Committee found that such actions posed a risk to the public, that Ms. Gray did not demonstrate insight into her actions, and that she did not show that she has taken accountability for her admitted misconduct over the years.  The Committee found that Ms. Gray violated the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, the NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses, and the NANB Standards for the Nurse-Client Relationship.

The Committee reprimanded Ms. Gray for her professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming a nurse, as well as for violating the Standards noted above.  The Committee ordered that the suspension of Ms. Gray’s registration be continued until specific conditions are met.  When those conditions are met, Ms. Gray will be eligible to apply for a conditional registration.  The Committee also ordered that Ms. Gray pay a portion of the costs of the proceedings related to the Complaint.

View case