A licensed practical nurse in British Columbia has been suspended after performing a “religious ritual” on an Indigenous patient without informed consent.
The BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) came to an agreement with Christopher Villaflor, from Surrey, last week.
His nursing registration has been suspended for four months, he will be barred from being the sole nurse on duty for a year and he will submit to “mentorship” and “remedial education.”
BCCNM provided few details of what exactly Villaflor did, but said he needed to address “practice issues” that were “related to performing a religious ritual on a client in public setting, without informed consent, and without consideration of the client's Indigenous heritage.”
That ritual was performed in June 2021, BCNNM said.
The college’s Inquiry Committee said it is satisfied that the terms will protect the public.
