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

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On November 5, 2021, the NANB Complaints Committee suspended the registration of Cherisee DaCosta, registration number 030890, pending the outcome of proceedings before the Discipline Committee.

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In a decision dated November 4, 2021, the NANB Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee accepted the Alternate Complaint Resolution Proposal (“ACRP”) submitted by Monica Lee Gibbons, registration number 029603.  As a result of the admissions made in the ACRP, the Committee found that Ms. Gibbons demonstrated professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming a professional and dishonesty by stealing narcotics from her place of employment for her personal use, and falsifying records to make it appear that she had administered narcotics to patients who did not receive them or to make it appear that narcotics were discarded when she stole them.  Ms. Gibbons admitted, and the Committee found, that she failed to adhere to required narcotic control procedures, the NANB Standards for Documentation, the NANB Standards for Medication Administration (as they were then called) and the NANB Standards for the Nurse-Client Relationship.

The Committee ordered that the suspension of Ms. Gibbons’ registration imposed by the Complaints Committee on May 1, 2018, be continued until specific conditions are met.  When those conditions are met, Ms. Gibbons will be eligible to apply for a conditional

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In a decision dated October 18, 2021, the NANB Discipline Committee accepted the Alternate Complaint Resolution Proposal (“ACRP”) submitted by Josianne Comeau, registration number 026130.  As a result of the admissions made in the ACRP, the Committee found that Ms. Comeau demonstrated a lack of professional judgment and conduct unbecoming a professional, and her conduct did not meet the standards of practice with respect to patient safety and safe practice, medication administration, infection prevention, work planning and organization, documentation and autonomy.  Ms. Comeau admitted, and the Committee found that she did not provide competent nursing care, and she failed to adhere to the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses and the NANB Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses.

The Committee ordered that the suspension of Ms. Comeau’s registration imposed by the Complaints Committee on July 14, 2020, be continued until specific conditions are met.  When those conditions are met, Ms. Comeau will be eligible to apply for a conditional registration.

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In a decision dated September 20, 2021, the NANB Fitness to Practice (Review) Committee accepted the Alternate Complaint Resolution Proposal (“ACRP”) submitted by Jennifer Jean Ryan, registration number 024993.  As a result of the admissions made in the ACRP, the Committee found that Ms. Ryan failed to meet the standards of practice expected of a nurse by leaving her assigned unit for over an hour, failing to perform blood glucose checks on patients before meal time, using the hospital’s blood glucometer to check her own blood sugar, failing to complete assigned patient care, failing to complete any documentation during a shift, failing to take responsibility for her actions, and demonstrating that she was unfit to practice nursing.

The Committee ordered that Ms. Ryan’s registration be revoked, and that she shall not be eligible to apply for reinstatement with a conditional registration unless and until she submits satisfactory evidence of her fitness to practice nursing.

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On August 25, 2021, the NANB Complaints Committee suspended the registration of Norma Smith, registration number 016067, pending the outcome of proceedings before the Fitness to Practice (Review Committee).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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