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Nurses want chance to defend themselves in Lisa Shore case
Profession's governing body asked to probe allegations made at inquest into girl's death

NATALIE SOUTHWORTH
The Globe and Mail
Tuesday, March 7, 2000

Toronto -- Four nurses at the Hospital for Sick Children, including the chief of nursing, say they were wrongly accused at the Lisa Shore inquest and are fighting back.

In an rare move, nurses Ruth Doerkson and Anagaile Soriano, nurse educator Mary Douglas and chief of nursing Dr. Jean Reeder have asked their governing body, the College of Nurses of Ontario, to investigate the allegations made against them at the inquest.

The nurses are asking for an immediate investigation and public hearing as soon as possible.

Usually, nurses respond to a complaint made against them instead of initiating one themselves, said Elizabeth McIntyre, counsel for all the nurses except for Dr. Reeder.

She said her clients feel they were wrongly accused in the death of 10-year-old Lisa Shore and want an opportunity to clear their names.

Lisa died on Oct. 22, 1998, eight hours after being admitted for chronic leg pain. She suffered from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, a rare, non-fatal condition, and was attached to a morphine pump to control the pain. Because of her condition, Lisa was also on a medication known to heighten the sedative effects of morphine.

The nurses contest that the girl's death was caused by a drug interaction, not a breach of nursing standards.

A five-member jury ruled last month that the cause of Lisa's death was a probable complex drug interaction leading to cardiac and respiratory arrest.

However, the jury ruled Lisa's death a homicide. The finding, which does not imply blame or intent on the part of the hospital staff, does recognize Lisa's death was a result of human error.

"These nurses were not involved in the administration of any of the drugs in question. It is an unsatisfactory process when what is left hanging is blame, when that is not the issue in an inquest in the first place," Ms. McIntyre said.

At the inquest, the jurors heard that many instructions were ignored by nurses assigned to Lisa's care.

In a prepared statement, Dr. Reeder gave her decision to self-report to the college.

"My leadership and ethical conduct has been questioned publicly. As a registered nurse in a leadership role, I welcome the opportunity to be reviewed by my regulatory body and independent experts."

The hospital has formally reported Ms. Doerkson and Ms. Soriano to the college and asked for a review of the nursing care provided.

Lisa's parents, Sharon and Bill Shore, have said publicly that they will not be satisfied until the nurses who cared for Lisa are fired. They have filed a disciplinary complaint against Ms. Doerkson and Ms. Soriano and are pushing for a public inquiry.

Police are reviewing the case to see if criminal charges should be laid.