Not Discriminatory to Fire Addicted Nurses for Theft and Fraud

The College filed charges of unprofessional conduct against two nurses who stole narcotics from the hospitals where they worked and forged documents to conceal their thefts. The nurses argued that, in light of their addictions, their conduct wasn’t “unprofessional.” The Tribunal reprimanded the nurses, ruling that the issue wasn’t their disability but the theft and fraud. The Appeals Committee rejected their argument that their disability precluded a finding of professional misconduct. And the court agreed. The motivation for the discipline of the nurses wasn’t their addiction but their criminal conduct. Thus, there was no disability discrimination [Wright v. College and Assn. of Registered Nurses of Alberta (Appeals Committee), [2012] A.J. No. 943, Sept. 18, 2012].