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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In a decision dated June 26, 2025, a panel of the NANB Complaints Committee accepted a Consent Agreement between NANB and Aritha Bianca Pinga Samontan (Registration Number 033875). Ms. Samontan admitted to posting comments, pictures and a video on her public social media accounts about the residents and herself at her place of work. Ms. Samontan admitted that her posts were inappropriate, unprofessional, disrespectful, and a breach of confidentiality, and that she failed to adhere to her employer’s policies, NANB’s Standards of Practice for Registered Nurses, and CNA’s Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses.

Ms. Samontan has voluntarily agreed to the following conditions on her registration:

1. Remedial education related to professional conduct and privacy and confidentiality in health care;
2. Performance evaluations from her employer(s) from the date of the Consent Agreement; and
3. Providing each employer and regulatory body with which she is registered with a copy of the Consent Agreement and Complaints Committee’s decision and advising NANB of any change in address or employer.

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On June 26, 2025, the NANB Complaints Committee referred the complaint against Jennifer Murphy, registration number 029557, to the NANB Discipline Committee. The Statement of Allegations will be posted on the NANB website in due course.

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On June 25, 2025, the NANB Complaints Committee referred the complaint against Shayna LeBlanc, registration number 026777, to the NANB Discipline Committee. The Statement of Allegations will be posted on the NANB website in due course.

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The conditions imposed on the registration of registrant number 031373 have been fulfilled and are hereby lifted effective June 23, 2025.

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On May 13, 2025, the NANB Complaints Committee referred the complaint against Ashli O’Leary, registration number 026687, to the NANB Discipline Committee. The Statement of Allegations will be posted on the NANB website in due course.

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In a decision dated May 2, 2025, a panel of the NANB Complaints Committee accepted a Consent Agreement between NANB and Marie Gaetane Girouard (Registration Number 020537). Ms. Girouard admitted to making several medication errors by administering a double dose of medication to a patient, by failing to administer a patient’s medication, and by failing to administer a patient’s medication at the scheduled time. Ms. Girouard admitted that the complaint also raised other issues, including additional errors in the management of medications and deficiencies in her knowledge of MAID procedures, incomplete documentation and inappropriate and inadequate professional communication with her coworkers and patient’s family members.

Ms. Girouard has voluntarily agreed to the following conditions on her registration:

1. Remedial education related to leadership and professional communication;
2. Performance evaluations from her employer(s) from the date of the Complaint’s Committee decision or upon her return to the active practice of nursing;
3. Providing each employer and regulatory body with which she is registered with a copy of the Consent Agreement and Complaints Committee’s decision and advising NANB of any change in address or employer.

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In a decision dated April 11, 2025, a panel of the NANB Complaints Committee accepted a Consent Agreement between NANB and Kathryn Porter (Registration Number 028261). Ms. Porter admitted that when a patient’s partner came to her asking for medications, she told the partner that the physician was unavailable and offered alternative medications, but she failed to ask the patient’s partner if she needed help with the patient’s care, failed to offer to do an assessment, failed to try to ask the physician for an order for IV fluids, and failed to notify the patient’s assigned nurse that the patient needed help or might have needed an order for IV fluids. Ms. Porter admitted that although she was aware of the partner’s requests for personal hygiene supplies and the existence of a garbage bag containing the patient’s stool, she failed to offer help with the patient’s care, failed to enter the patient’s room, failed to assess the patient, and failed to check with the patient’s assigned nurse to see if an assessment was needed.

Ms. Porter has voluntarily agreed to the following conditions on her registration:

1. Remedial education related to professional communication and accountability;
2. Performance evaluations from her employer(s) from the of the Complaints Committee Decision; and
3. Providing each employer and regulatory body with which she is registered with a copy of the Consent Agreement and Complaints Committee’s decision and advising NANB of any change in address or employer.

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In a decision dated April 11, 2025, a panel of the NANB Complaints Committee accepted a Consent Agreement between NANB and Jessica Marie Spidell (Registration Number 032698). Ms. Spidell admitted to leaving personal hygiene supplies in a patient’s room without speaking or offering assistance to the patient and their partner while they were in the bathroom, failing to do a thorough assessment of the patient, failing to recheck the patient’s vitals after they were settled in bed, failing to obtain further information regarding the quantity and frequency of the patient’s diarrhea, failing to de-escalate a tense situation involving the patient’s partner, and failing to contact the physician and advocate for verbal orders for IV fluids, pain medication, and/or blood work.

Ms. Spidell has voluntarily agreed to the following conditions on her registration:

1. Remedial education related to professional communication and critical thinking in nursing;
2. Performance evaluations from her employer(s) from the date of the Complainants Committee Decision; and
3. Providing each employer and regulatory body with which she is registered with a copy of the Consent Agreement and Complaints Committee’s decision and advising NANB of any change in address or employer.

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