Kelowna nurse suspended for leaving Indigenous person unresponsive in emergency department

A former Kelowna nurse has been suspended for “practice” issues while working in an emergency room.

A consent agreement between the BC College of Nurses and Midwives and Katherine Lowe of Kelowna was approved on Jan. 25.

According to the agreement, the issues happened in September 2021 and involved an unconscious Indigenous person found in the emergency room.

“Ms. Lowe found an Indigenous person apparently pulseless and unresponsive in the vestibule of the emergency department,” states the agreement.

“Ms. Lowe did not adequately assess or perform any resuscitative measures for them, concluding they were deceased. Further, she did not meet documentation standards related to the said incident.”

Although Lowe allowed her registration to lapse, she agreed to a public reprimand for breaching several standards related to ethical practice, documentation, provision of care and duty to provide care.

If Lowe decided to reapply for registration in BC, she has agreed to the following terms:

• A suspension of her nursing registration for two months

• Remedial education in documentation, ethics and Indigenous cultural safety

The inquiry committee, who approved the agreement, agreed these terms would protect the public.