Burnaby nurse suspended for taking photos of confidential patient information

Photo: Jon Manchester

B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives website.

A Burnaby nurse has been disciplined for taking photos of confidential information belonging to residents in a long-term care facility last year.

Samantha Joyce Ballesteros, a licensed practical nurse in Burnaby, has had her licence suspended for three weeks and has been ordered to take remedial education in ethics, privacy, responsibility and accountability, according to a notice from the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives Monday.

An inquiry committee panel has approved the sanctions as part of a consent agreement between the college and Ballestros to address practice issues last June.

Ballestros had used a personal mobile device to take images of four pages of a document containing confidential information of 114 residents of a long-term care facility, according to the college.

“The registrant had no work-related purpose for obtaining the information,” stated the notice. “Further, the registrant breached an undertaking and failed to cooperate with the regulator during the investigation.”

Ballestros has voluntarily agreed to terms of the agreement, according to the college.