FORT FRANCES – A Fort Frances woman will never work as a nurse again after she admitted to the College of Nurses of Ontario her actions caused the death of a patient.
Lindsey Coyle, 38, was criminally charged in 2019 with second-degree murder, criminal negligence causing death, theft, breach of trust and uttering forged documents in connection with the death of 76-year-old Hermina Fletcher.
Fletcher was admitted to LaVerendrye Hospital, where Coyle worked as a registered practical nurse, on Dec. 20, 2014. Coyle manipulated Fletcher’s medication administration records during her nursing shift on Jan. 3, 2015 in order to steal Fletcher’s morphine and Fletcher died early morning on Jan. 4, 2015, a result of receiving an increased morphine dosage, based on the manipulated medical record.
Fletcher’s cause of death was determined to be morphine toxicity.
Coyle pleaded guilty to criminal negligence causing death and one count of failing to comply with a release order in August 2022. All other charges against her were withdrawn.
She was sentenced in January 2024 to two years in jail, but released on day parole in September of last year.
On Thursday, Coyle was subject to a virtual disciplinary hearing by the College of Nurses of Ontario where she admitted to three counts of professional misconduct.
The first act of misconduct relates to Coyle abusing a patient – Fletcher – by altering her medication record with respect to morphine dosage without a physician’s order, which caused Fletcher to be administered an increased dosage, ultimately causing her death.
The second act of misconduct relates to Coyle’s falsifying of the medical record and the third act is that as a member of the nurses college, she engaged in conduct that would reasonably be regarded as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional by altering Fletcher’s medical record and causing her death.
In regards to the third act, college counsel Denise Cooney said all parties agreed Coyle’s actions were all three – disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional and that it was “conduct which no doubt brings shame upon the nursing profession.”
The five-person disciplinary panel agreed to a joint submission put forward by Cooney, which Coyle had agreed to, that Coyle would voluntarily resign from the college permanently – meaning she will never reapply to be registered as a nurse again.
Coyle addressed the panel during the hearing and apologized to the college of nurses as well as all her coworkers.
“I completely understand the mistrust that has happened and the shame I’ve brought upon the community of nurses,” she said.
“I’ve gone through a lot of things in the last 10 years and spent time in prison for this action. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect and have remorse on what I’ve done. I understand whatever I have to go forward with today is what I deserve.”
In a separate civil case, Coyle was previously ordered to pay Fletcher’s family estate $130,000 in damages.
The case was filed in 2021 by Fletcher’s son, Melvin Fletcher Jr., and granddaughter, Melissa Fletcher, against Coyle and Riverside Healthcare Facilities that administers La Verendrye Hospital.
The original statement of claim was seeking $3 million in damages.
The claim against the hospital has been settled and the action against the hospital has been dismissed.
