P.A. nurse continues to appeal $26k fine over Facebook post
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A ruling upheld by a Court of Queen’s Bench judge last year will make its way to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal today when a Prince Albert nurse continues her fight for freedom of expression.
Carolyn Strom was fined $26,000 by her professional regulatory board for a comment she made on Facebook in February 2015. She criticized the palliative care her grandfather received at a care home in Macklin, Saskatchewan. In the post, Strom said some of the care was “less than desirable.” She urged anyone with concerns about care at the facility to report anything they did not like saying “that’s the only way to get some things to change.” The post was public and Strom also sent it to the health minister.
The Saskatchewan Registered Nurses’ Association (SRNA) felt Strom violated confidentiality and argued she should have complained through proper channels rather than publicly on social media. They found her guilty of professional misconduct and Saskatoon’s Queen Bench Justice J. Currie upheld that decision.
Strom, who was on maternity leave when she made the comments, said the ruling, and the fines, infringed on her right to freedom of expression. She argued the rules applying to registered nurses only apply when they are working.
