CTV News has learned that an employee at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital has been terminated following the death of a patient last month.
According to Unifor, the union representing licensed practical nurses and maintenance employees at the Cape Breton Regional Hospital, one of their members has been terminated.
They haven't said why, only that it is in relation to a serious incident in February.
But additional sources have told CTV News it is related to the death of a patient whose body was found outside on hospital grounds.
A patient was found dead in the early morning hours of Feb. 23 outside on the grounds of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital
The health authority called it "an unexpected death" at the time. But CTV News was told by another source the patient had dementia.
Now sources tell CTV News the alarm on the stairwell didn't go off and the patient was charted as sleeping quietly in his room when he was actually outside of the building.
Multiple sources say two additional personnel have also been terminated.
The Nova Scotia Health Authority will not confirm the terminations, stating they are still conducting an investigation into the patient's death.
“The status of any of our employees and any personal information related to their employment is personal and remain confidential and is confidential between the employees and employer,” says health authority spokesperson Greg Boone.
“There's nothing we can say about the status of any of our employees within the organization.”
The Nova Scotia Nurses Union says they're aware of the ongoing investigation, but will not comment due to patient confidentiality.
CTV News also reached out to the organizations that govern professional conduct for both LPNs and RNs, but they weren't able to comment, citing confidentiality.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.
