Woodstock Nurse Has License Revoked

Monday, 25 February 2019 10:53

The College of Nurses of Ontario has revoked the license for Shelley Lynn Vanderzwaag who worked at the Woodstock Private Hospital.

WOODSTOCK - The College of Nurses of Ontario has revoked the license of a local nurse who worked at the Woodstock Private Hospital.

The CNO revoked Shelley Lynn Vanderzwaag's license at her hearing last week. Her license was revoked for the following reasons according to the CNO web site:

Vanderzwaag was found guilty of falsifying records, related to her practice, inappropriately used a term, title or designation in respect of her practice and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional conduct by indicating in patient records that she was a Registered Practical Nurse and/or a nurse when her certificate of registration was suspended.

She also contravened a term, condition or limitation on her certificate of registration, failed to comply with an order of a panel of the Fitness to Practise Committee, and engaged in disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional conduct by practising when her certificate of registration was suspended; and contravened the Nursing Act, 1991 by using the title Registered Practical Nurse and/or nurse, or a variation thereof, and by holding herself out as a person who is qualified to practise in Ontario as a Registered Practical Nurse and/or nurse when her certificate of registration was suspended.

Vanderzwaag was called before the hearing along with her sister Lisa Marie Figg because of misconduct allegations at the Private Hospital that was owned by the sisters mother Irma Vanderzwaag. Figg will have her hearing with the CNO on April 2nd.

The Woodstock Private Hospital is longer be taking new patients and will close down on March 31st, 2019.

The move stems from legislation passed in December 2017, calling for the repeal of private hospitals in Ontario. Woodstock Private Hospital has been in operation since 1975 and currently has 16 beds. The Woodstock Private Hospital ownership decided to cease operations based on the Strengthening Quality and Accountability for Patients Act. The act includes provisions for the eventual repeal of the Private Hospitals Act, meaning private hospitals will no longer be permitted to operate in Ontario.