Manitoba Nurse Stripped of Licence After Treatment Error Endangers Patient

A nurse in Manitoba has had her professional licence revoked after a serious treatment mistake in a remote emergency room nearly killed a patient, provincial regulators have confirmed. The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba concluded that the nurse’s conduct breached key professional standards and posed a grave risk to patient safety, leading to the rare and severe disciplinary outcome.

According to findings from the regulatory panel, the nurse failed to properly follow medication administration guidelines, including critical checks that help prevent harmful overdoses or interactions. In this case, the nurse administered a powerful drug improperly, resulting in the patient’s heart stopping — an incident that could have had fatal consequences.

The panel’s decision to strip the nurse of her licence reflects both the seriousness of the error and her failure to uphold professional responsibilities. Regulators concluded that the treatment mistake was not an isolated slip but represented a departure from accepted standards of care in emergency settings, where vigilance and adherence to protocols are essential to protect vulnerable patients.

Stripping a nurse’s licence is relatively rare in Canada and typically reserved for incidents that indicate a significant risk to public safety, such as harmful clinical decisions or professional misconduct. Regulators emphasise that their mandate is to ensure that only practitioners who demonstrate competence, judgement and adherence to ethical and clinical standards are permitted to practise in Manitoba’s health-care system.

The decision has drawn attention to broader concerns about staffing, training and oversight in remote health facilities, where nurses often work with limited support and face high-pressure situations. Health-care advocates say incidents like this highlight the need for strong systems of professional support, continuous training and robust safety checks to help prevent future harm.

The nurse involved has not publicly commented on the disciplinary ruling. Manitoba’s health authorities and the nursing regulator say they will continue to monitor practice standards and take necessary action to maintain public confidence in the health-care system.