Victoria police are investigating a former nurse at Royal Jubilee Hospital who has been accused stealing from psychiatric patients.
Detectives were tipped off to the breach of trust and theft allegations by the Vancouver Island Health Authority, which suspended the nurse from her position on Dec. 16 and fired her five days later.
"We have done our internal investigation and the employee no longer works for us," VIHA's Rod O'Connell told CTV News.
The nurse worked with some of the most vulnerable patients in the hospital at the emergency psychiatric and intensive care ward.
Police say she has a prior conviction in another province, but the B.C. College of Registered Nurses would not confirm if it did a background check on her during the hiring process.
Cynthia Johansen, director of inquiry and discipline with the college, said that "public protection is our priority."
"That's what we're here for. We have processes in place for investigation such matters, we do it in accordance with the regulations and legislation," Johansen said.
A search of the college's website shows it renewed the nurse's licence last week to practice for another year.
The police investigation is ongoing, but detectives expect to forward charges to Crown counsel sometime in the next two weeks.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Stephen Andrew
