Nurse appeals licence suspension for allegedly blocking patient's airway

A former Northwest Territories nurse whose licence was suspended for allegedly covering the mouth and nose of a combative patientis appealing hersuspension.

Madeline Heffel says the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavutwas out of line when they fined her $10,000 and suspended her licence to practise in the N.W.T.until she completes a specialized nursing course.

The suspension stemmed from an incident in Delinein July 2011 when she and two other nurses were treating a 15-year-old male patient.

RCMP had recovered him from the shores of Great Bear Lake after he had tried to drown himself.He was hypothermicand was taken to the community's health centre for treatment.

According to court documents, Heffel says he was combative kicking, biting and spitting on the nurses.

Heffelsays as she and another nurse were trying to hold him down so they could begin treatment, he spat on her face.

In court documents, the two other nurses say Heffelthen put a blanket over the patient's mouth and pinched his nostrils, blocking his airway.

One of them told the Registered Nurses Association that she heard Heffel say "I'll stop when you stop."

Both nurses filed a complaint about the incident. After an investigation, the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority fired Heffel for abusing a patient.

She denies blocking the patient's airway. She appealed the firing and an arbitrator found the GNWT had no evidenceand found in Heffel's favour.

TheRegistered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut fined her and suspended her licence to practise in February 2014.Heffelwasalso ordered to pay for the cost of the association's inquiry about $50,000.

The Board found Heffel had "failed to meet acceptable nursing standards" and her "actions were excessive to accomplish the purpose of defence and restraint."

Heffel'slawyer argues the Registered Nurses Association has no proof the incident took place, andis asking for her licence to be reinstated and for the order requiring her to pay for the cost of the inquiry to be overturned.

Her appeal will be heardin court Feb.12 in Yellowknife.