A woman accused of pretending to be a nurse has been charged with fraud and personation with intent over $5,000
This is following her giving patients drugs when she’s not qualified to do so.
Vancouver police released a statement saying that they began an investigation into Brigitte Claire Cleroux (49), after learning that a B.C. employee had been posing as a nurse. Women’s Hospital had been pretending to be a nurse from June 2020 to June 2021.
Cleroux was said to have used the name of a qualified nurse to care for patients at the hospital.
“We don’t yet know how many people in Vancouver may have received treatment from the fraudulent nurse, but we’re working with the provincial health services authority to identify patients who may have had contact with her,”In the news release, Constable Tania Visitein said this.
Cleroux is facing new charges after Ottawa police brought up a series of other charges in August against her, including assault with weapon, criminal negligence causing bodily injury, and using a forgery document.
According to CBC News Cleroux is known for impersonating nurses and teachers. This practice dates back as far as 1991. Injections including sedatives or anaesthetics were administered to her patients in Ottawa as well as Vancouver.
Cleroux enrolled in a Colorado nursing school, but he didn’t complete it and was never licensed as a practitioner, according to CBC News.
In June, the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives warned Cleroux that Cleroux might be using the aliases Melanie Smith and Melanie Thompson.
Danette Thomsen is interim vice-president at the B.C. The allegations were described by the Nurses’ Union as “absolutely alarming”She said that she had never heard of something like this in the province.
“The fact that this can even happen raises questions around the controls from the health employers, and what is in place and is it enough — obviously not — to keep our patients and our staff safe,” Thomsen said.
The Provincial Health Services Authority manages the hospital. They said they are working with police to reach out to Cleroux patients.
“We can assure the public that we are reviewing this matter fully to determine how this occurred, any internal processes that may have contributed to it and impact to patients,”The health authority made a written statement.
