A B.C. nurse who entered into relationships with two clients' family members – including one where she apparently received thousands of dollars – won't be allowed to reapply for her registration for several years.
According to a summary of a consent agreement shared by the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives Tuesday, Lake Country's Carey Motloch agreed she won't apply to renew her expired nursing registration for at least three years because of two relationships that developed between 2017 and 2019.
One relationship reportedly began after a client was admitted in 2017 to a long-term care facility where Motloch worked.
"Within a year of the client's admission, Ms. Motloch entered into a relationship with her son," the summary said.
Motloch was apparently spotted by a co-worker in 2018 in an "overly familiar interaction," so she told management about the relationship. As a result, her co-workers had to care for and assist the client because of "boundary issues" in their relationship, the BCCNM explained.
"Professional and practise standards prohibit nurses from beginning a friendship or romantic relationship with a client or the client's family or friends," the consent agreement summary said.
"Nurses must report boundary violations to the appropriate person. If a nurse must or wants to provide care to family or friends, they must discuss boundaries and the dual role (personal and professional) with everyone affected."
Prior to that, Motloch reportedly entered a relationship with a deceased client's spouse. The BCCNM's summary said Motloch cared for a client between 2014 and 2017, during which she developed a friendship with the woman's elderly spouse.
"After the client died, the spouse and Ms. Motloch began to meet for coffee," the summary said.
"The spouse's daughter observed him texting Ms. Motloch that he loved her; in December 2017, she raised concerns about her father's attachment to Ms. Motloch."
According to BCCNM, the spouse told his daughter that Motloch had cancer and financial issues. But Motloch didn't have cancer, BCCNM's summary said.
About a year-and-a-half later, the spouse's daughter remained concerned about the relationship, saying her father was apparently giving Motloch money. BCCNM said four cheques totalling $16,000 were made out to Motloch over a four-month period, adding that Motloch wrote the cheques herself and had the spouse sign them.
"She asserted that the cheques were in exchange for specific items she sold the spouse through a buy and sell business," BCCNM's summary said.
"No records of the items or their sale were provided and the specific items were not found among the spouse's personal effects."
Currently, Motloch isn't legally able to work as a nurse in B.C. because her registration lapsed. She's agreed she won't reapply for at least three years and, even if she does, she'll be scrutinized by the registration committee "to determine if she met the criteria for fitness to practice, nursing competence, and good character."
The BCCNM's inquiry said it believes those mutually agreed upon terms "will protect the public."
