Latest news with #BCCNM
National Post
a day ago
- Health
- National Post
B.C. nurse suspended, fined $94K for comments about transgender people
VANCOUVER — A British Columbia nurse has been suspended and fined nearly $94,000 for what a disciplinary panel said were 'discriminatory and derogatory statements' about transgender people. Article content The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives says a disciplinary panel has issued a decision against Amy Hamm, suspending her for one month, while also ordering her to pay the college costs and disbursements within two years. Article content Article content The panel said in its verdict in March that Hamm committed professional misconduct for making statements across 'various online platforms' between July 2018 and March 2021 that were partly designed 'to elicit fear, contempt and outrage against members of the transgender community.' Article content Article content The college says Hamm has filed an appeal of the discipline order in B.C. Supreme Court, and the decision on penalty and costs is stayed until that appeal has been resolved. Article content The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms says in a release that Hamm, who is also a columnist for National Post, was penalized for 'her statements defending the right of women to access female-only spaces.' Article content The release says Hamm had worked in health care for more than 13 years and had been promoted to be a nurse educator. Article content Lisa Bildy, Hamm's lawyer, says in a statement that they believe the panel made 'legal and factual errors' in reaching its decision, which penalizes the nurse for expressing 'mainstream views aligned with science and common sense.' Article content Article content Article content 'I'm appealing because biological reality matters, and so does freedom of expression,' she says. Article content The college says in its notice of the penalty decision that the verdict is an 'important statement against discrimination.' Article content 'The college will continue to stand up against discrimination and believes it is a core aspect of our public protection mandate to ensure nurses uphold the important principle that the health care system is non-discriminatory.' Article content The announcement comes nearly a month after the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced it had filed two complaints with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. Article content
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. nurse Amy Hamm gets suspension, fines for comments about transgender people
Former nurse Amy Hamm is seen in an undated photo. (Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms/Amy Hamm) VANCOUVER — A British Columbia nurse has been suspended and fined nearly $94,000 for making 'discriminatory and derogatory statements' about transgender people. The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives says a disciplinary panel has issued a decision against Amy Hamm, suspending her for one month, while also ordering her to pay the college costs and disbursements within two years. The panel said in its verdict in March that Hamm committed professional misconduct for making statements across 'various online platforms' between July 2018 and March 2021 that were partly designed 'to elicit fear, contempt and outrage against members of the transgender community.' The college says Hamm has filed an appeal of the discipline order in B.C. Supreme Court, and the decision on penalty and costs is stayed until that appeal has been resolved. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms says in a release that Hamm was penalized for 'her statements defending the right of women to access female-only spaces.' The release says Hamm had worked in health care for more than 13 years and had been promoted to be a nurse educator. Lisa Bildy, Hamm's lawyer, says in a statement that they believe the panel made 'legal and factual errors' in reaching its decision, which penalizes the nurse for expressing 'mainstream views aligned with science and common sense.' Hamm says in the statement that her comments are not hateful. 'I'm appealing because biological reality matters, and so does freedom of expression,' she says. The college says in its notice of the penalty decision that the verdict is an 'important statement against discrimination.' 'Nurses and midwives occupy a position of trust and influence in our society,' the notice says. 'The college will continue to stand up against discrimination and believes it is a core aspect of our public protection mandate to ensure nurses uphold the important principle that the health care system is non-discriminatory.' The announcement comes nearly a month after the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announced it had filed two complaints with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 15, 2025.
CBC
21-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Fired B.C. nurse launches human rights complaints, says constitutional advocacy group
Social Sharing The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms says a nurse who was sanctioned by the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) and fired by her employer has filed two human rights complaints with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms was founded in 2010, to "defend the constitutional freedoms of Canadians through litigation and education," says its website. In March, the BCCNM announced a disciplinary panel with the college determined Amy Hamm committed unprofessional conduct for making "public discriminatory statements directed towards transgender people while identifying as a nurse." It said Hamm's statements made across "various online platforms" between July 2018 and March 2021 were partly designed "to elicit fear, contempt and outrage against members of the transgender community." In June, the college updated a news release that said that its discipline committee would deliberate on an appropriate penalty and costs at a future date. It also announced that Hamm had filed an appeal of the March decision in B.C. Supreme Court. The justice centre says in a news release that Hamm was the "target of escalating disciplinary measures, and eventually termination, for expressing views on gender and women's rights during her personal time." It says her first application to the human rights tribunal is against Vancouver Coastal Health, alleging discrimination based on her political beliefs that led to her dismissal in March 2025. The centre says the second application is against the College of Nurses and Midwives and claims regulatory authorities used their power to enforce a particular worldview — in this case, gender ideology. The news release says Hamm is seeking reinstatement, a public apology, a declaration that she was discriminated against, as well as monetary compensation. The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives' disciplinary panel said Hamm can share her views but not while identifying her professional affiliation as a nurse. In September 2020, Hamm helped pay for an I Love J.K. Rowling Sign on Hastings Street in Vancouver, supporting the author's views about gender identity. It was taken down a day after it was put up. Since the hearing with B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives, Hamm has written several columns for a variety of media outlets on multiple issues, including politics and crime, as well as sex and gender.
CTV News
10-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
B.C. nurse suspended 5 days for withholding medication, falsifying records
A registered nurse in Kamloops, B.C., has been suspended five days for issues related to medication administration and record keeping, according to the regulatory body. The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives says it entered a consent agreement with Amritpal Randhawa on Tuesday, to 'practice issues' that occurred between December 2022 and April 2023. Randhawa administered and withheld medication from patients 'without clinical justification' and falsified medication administration records, according to the college. The was also disciplined for failing to report 'medication incidents' and update patient care plans 'accurately or at all.' 'BCCNM professional and practice standards set expectations to ensure nurses are practising competently, ethically, responsibly, and safely,' reads an online summary of the consent agreement. 'Nurses are accountable for their nursing decisions, actions, and professional conduct. Nurses must ensure that they meet these standards in providing care to patients.' As a result, Randhawa agreed to a five-day registration suspension and a public reprimand. The nurse must also meet with a BCCNM consultant to create a plan to 'prevent similar conduct from occurring in the future.' 'The inquiry committee is satisfied that the terms will address the professional and practice concerns that arose and will protect the public,' the summary reads.
CTV News
05-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Nurse attended work ‘while unfit to practice,' college says
A medical stethoscope is seen in this undated image. (Shutterstock) A B.C. nurse has admitted to attending work 'while unfit to practice,' and has been disciplined for the conduct, according to the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives. The college posted a summary of its consent agreement with the nurse online this week. The brief document indicates the registered nurse went to work on Sept. 20, 2024, while unfit to practice, but it does not elaborate on the specific reason the nurse was unfit. The summary also does not name the nurse or specify their gender. 'Pursuant to BCCNM Responsibility and Accountability Professional Standards, nurses are required to maintain their own physical, psychological, and emotional fitness to practice,' the summary document reads. 'When a nurse becomes unfit to practice, they are expected to remove themselves from practice.' This nurse did not do so, according to the document. Under the consent agreement, the nurse agreed to provide the college with 'a medical note indicating fitness to practice prior to returning to practice,' according to the summary. The nurse also agreed to not work alone and not work night shifts for a period of three months after returning to practice. 'The Inquiry Committee is satisfied that the terms will address the professional and practice concerns that arose and will protect the public.'
