B.C. nurse suspended 4 weeks for ignoring order, falsifying documentation

A medical stethoscope is seen in this undated image. (Shutterstock)

A nurse employed by B.C.’s Forensic Psychiatric Hospital has been suspended for four weeks for ignoring a physician’s order and falsifying documentation, according to the provincial regulatory college.

The misconduct occurred before he began working at the Coquitlam facility, according to the Provincial Health Services Authority.

Christopher Parungao, a registered psychiatric nurse from Surrey, entered a consent agreement with the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives on Thursday to address “practice issues” that occurred on Oct. 19, 2022.

According to a summary of the agreement published on the BCCNM website, Parungao was ordered to check on a psychiatric patient and “falsely document(ed) that the patient was seen when they were not.”

“Additionally, the registrant breached a signed agreement to notify BCCNM of all his employers,” the summary reads.

The BCCNM’s website lists Forensic Psychiatric Hospital as Parungao’s “primary employer.”

In an email to CTV News after this story was published, the PHSA clarified that Parungao was not employed by Forensic Psychiatric Hospital or any other PHSA facility at the time of the misconduct.

Under the consent agreement, Parungao agreed to a four-week suspension of his registration for not checking on the patient and falsifying the documentation, to be followed by a three-day suspension for breaching a signed undertaking.

He also agreed to a limit on supervising students for six months and to “remedial education in ethics,” according to the summary.

“Documentation forms a comprehen​sive record of care provided to a client," the summary reads. “Nurses are responsible and accountable for documenting in the client record the care they personally provide to the client.”

The BCCNM’s inquiry committee was satisfied with the terms of the consent agreement, believing they will address the professional and practice concerns that arose and protect the public, according to the summary.