N.S. nurses face forgery charges in 'preventable' death of patient

Nurses charged in relation to Sydney patient death Two nurses have been charged with forgery, relating to the death of a patient found dead outside of the Cape Breton Regional Hosptial.

SYDNEY, N.S. -- The death of a 79-year-old patient whose body was found outside the Cape Breton Regional Hospital this winter was "preventable," health officials said Tuesday as police charged two nurses with forging his health records.

The unidentified man was found unresponsive on a Sydney, N.S., sidewalk in the early morning hours of Feb. 23, the Cape Breton Regional Police said Tuesday.

The police service, which had been asked to investigate the circumstances of the death by the Medical Examiner's Office, said it discovered that documentation related to the patient's status during the overnight hours of Feb. 22 had allegedly been forged.

In an interview Tuesday, Janet Knox, CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority, offered no specifics about the incident, saying an internal review is still underway.

"What I can say is we believe the incident was preventable," said Knox. "The Nova Scotia Health Authority takes patient safety seriously, so we have apologized directly to this patient's family ... we deeply regret what's happened."

Knox wouldn't answer any questions about the patient, his condition, or how he died, citing patient confidentiality.

Charged are registered nurse Tammy Carrigan-Warner, 41, of Sydney River, and 47-year-old Valerie MacGillivary of Glace Bay, a licensed practical nurse.

"The charges were filed in court yesterday (Monday), and they (the women) are scheduled on a promise to appear for a later date," police spokeswoman Desiree Vassallo said in an email.

"I can't speak to the specifics of the alleged forgery -- those details are part of evidence that will be presented in court as part of that process," said Vassallo.

The health authority confirmed both women had been employed as nurses at the hospital. Both have since been terminated.

The College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Nova Scotia and the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia said Tuesday they have launched a joint investigation into the nurses' professional conduct.

They said any licensing sanction will be released publicly.

Knox said no disciplinary action has been taken against any other hospital employees.

She said a "robust" process is in place to determine what happened, adding that it's important for the public to understand that "they can trust us."

That report will be shared with the family if requested, she said.

"When we have an incident we look at the total process of the work around what is expected to have been done and what was done," she said.

In a letter to staff, Knox reiterated the authority had apologized to the family and were "deeply sorry," and added that help will be offered to any hospital staff who want it.

"The patient's death was a disturbing and heartbreaking loss for the family members," she said in the note. "This event has also been deeply upsetting for staff who cared for the patient."