BC nurse suspended after admitting to 'intimate relationship' with former patient

A British Columbia nurse has been suspended for 12 months after she admitted to engaging in an intimate relationship with a “vulnerable” former patient.

Ashley Grittner, from Chilliwack, signed a consent agreement on Sept. 17 with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) to address her professional misconduct.

In a summary of that agreement released this week, the BCCNM explained Grittner was a case manager for the Chilliwack-area Intensive Case Management program.

“Ms. Grittner engaged in an intimate relationship with the vulnerable former client, approximately two months after the termination of the clinical nurse-client relationship,” the summary explains.

The “violation of professional boundaries” occurred between April 2021 and February 2022, according to the summary.

As a consequence of her misconduct, Grittner agreed to:

• A 12-month suspension of her nursing registration;

• A prohibition on her being the sole registered practical nurse on duty/supervising nursing students/practising in an autonomous community-based practice environment for 12 months following the suspension period;

• Undertake “remedial education” in boundaries and ethics;

• Direct supervision of her nursing practice for three months after returning to work;

• Develop a “learning plan” to be shared with her employer and the BCCNM; and

• A “regulatory practice consulting program” to address “foundational issues” contained in the agreement.