Caught as a fake in St. John’s, imposter nurse Lisa Driscoll still landed a job in Gander | 24CA News
The proprietor of a St. John’s long-term care house has confirmed he employed a pretend nurse below false credentials earlier than the lady moved on to work as a personal journey nurse in central Newfoundland.
And though the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador flagged her lack of credentials final summer season, the lady was nonetheless in a position to land in well being care as a registered nurse in Gander.
The newest revelation means Driscoll apparently used a stolen id at the least twice to achieve work in well being care in Newfoundland.
Barry Parsons, who owns the Chancellor Park care house in St. John’s, has confirmed that imposter nurse Lisa (Strickland) Driscoll labored there as a nurse “for a period of time,” writing in a letter to residents and their households that Driscoll was terminated final June.
In the letter, Parsons confirms that Driscoll labored as a licensed sensible nurse on the privately owned facility on Portugal Cove Road.
“We regret that this happened in our facility even with the most stringent checks and balances,” Parsons wrote.
Chancellor Park was tipped off by the province’s faculty of licensed sensible nurses, the CEO and registrar instructed 24CA News Wednesday.
Wanda Wadman of the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador stated her group obtained a name on June 6 from an employer that there was an software from Driscoll, and in the course of the course of their “due diligence” to find out her licensure standing, the employer acknowledged that Lisa Driscoll wasn’t on the faculty’s register.
Wadman says Driscoll labored at Chancellor Park for over a 12 months.
From Chancellor Park to Gander
Not lengthy after her dismissal from Chancellor Park, Driscoll landed a job as a registered nurse at Lakeside Homes long-term care facility in Gander, working greater than two dozen shifts as a journey nurse employed by a personal company between August and November 2022.
She made nationwide headlines final month after she was fired by Central Health after the regional well being authority obtained a criticism that she was working as an unregistered practitioner.
Driscoll is now below investigation by the RCMP, however no costs have been laid.
An extra investigation by CBC found that Driscoll was sentenced to 2½ years in jail in early 2021 for the demise of her four-year-old son in Hamilton however served solely 75 days due to prolonged pre-sentencing custody.
The Bonavista lady was dwelling in Hamilton in 2017 when her four-year-old son, Kane Driscoll, was discovered lifeless in her house, with a deadly dose of an opioid prescribed to Lisa Driscoll in his physique. Police charged Strickland with manslaughter in 2019, however she pleaded right down to prison negligence inflicting demise.
Attempts by CBC News to succeed in Driscoll have been unsuccessful.
Parsons stated an inner evaluation at Chancellor Park has decided “there were no negative impacts from her interactions with residents.”
In addition to Driscoll’s termination, Parsons stated the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary was additionally knowledgeable in June.
“We wish to inform you the care of our residents is our single biggest priority,” stated Parsons.
Chancellor Park has tightened hiring protocols
CBC News, having beforehand obtained suggestions that Driscoll had labored at Chancellor Park, spoke with Parsons on a number of events in current days to ask whether or not that was the case.
Parsons would solely say Driscoll had not labored as an RN at Chancellor Park and that he would inquire along with his human assets workforce to find out whether or not she labored in another capability.
It’s not clear why Parsons was unable to verify Driscoll’s employment historical past with Chancellor Park, since Driscoll was fired in June below very uncommon circumstances.
CBC News has requested an interview with Parsons.
It’s additionally not clear how Driscoll evaded Chancellor Park’s vetting course of for workers, however Parsons stated, “We are confident that we have augmented all procedures to ensure this would never happen again.”
According to Central Health, Strickland used the licence variety of a registered nurse with a really related identify that was posted on-line to land a job with Staffing Solutions Inc., a personal company that gives further nursing help to well being authorities when wanted.
Staffing Solutions then assigned Driscoll to Lakeside Homes.
Central Health has stated it was the accountability of Staffing Solutions to confirm the credentials of journey nurses, however within the wake of the Driscoll controversy, the well being authority has added a second layer of scrutiny.
24CA News decided that Lisa Driscoll’s identify was beforehand flagged by the College of Nurses of Ontario as an “unregistered practitioner.”
College of LPNs tipped off the ability
Wadman says the faculty found a mismatch in names throughout its investigation in June.
There was a Michelle Driscoll, Wadman stated, a reputation Lisa Driscoll had used beforehand in Ontario.
“There was a mismatch in the licensure names … through that process we realized that the Michelle Driscoll who was licensed with us was not Lisa Driscoll,” stated Wadman.
“Lisa Driscoll had never been licensed in Newfoundland and Labrador as an LPN.”
Wadman stated it was throughout that course of that the faculty discovered Driscoll was employed at Chancellor Park.
She stated she contacted Chancellor Park personally and suggested them an worker below the identify Lisa Driscoll, who was working as an LPN, was not licensed to apply.
“It looks like she began practising there in March of 2021 until June [2022] — until they received my call. That’s according to their letter that they put out today to families of residents,” stated Wadman.
“It’s my understanding that Chancellor Park then terminated her employment and we advised Chancellor Park that this needed to be reported to the RNC.”
Wadman stated the faculty obtained three different inquiries about Lisa Driscoll from potential employers — not together with Lakeside Homes in Gander or Chancellor Park — however she was by no means employed.
“It’s just very disturbing that an individual is able to do this, to find employment without the proper credentials,” stated Wadman.
“We have processes set up to ensure that individuals go through proper the licensing process and we identify people who are duly licensed to work as LPNs on our website.”
