Fake nurse also worked at private surgery clinic in Victoria

A woman facing charges for allegedly posing as a nurse at a Vancouver hospital also worked at a private surgery clinic in Victoria, CBC News has learned.

Management at View Royal Surgical Clinic confirmed Monday that Brigitte Cleroux was employed there for three weeks in November 2020.

"We are working with the authorities to review the matter and ensure patients who may have had contact with Ms. [Cleroux] are provided with the information and support they need," Fatima Fazal, the chief operating officer for parent company Surgical Centres Inc., wrote in an email.

Cleroux, 49, is charged with fraud over $5,000 and personation after Vancouver police say she posed as a perioperative nurse at B.C. Women's Hospital from June 2020 to June 2021. She also faces charges in Ottawa based on similar allegations, and has a long history of convictions for posing as a nurse in multiple provinces.

But it's not clear whether she's under investigation by police in Victoria. West Shore RCMP, who are responsible for the area where the clinic is located, said they can only confirm the existence of an investigation if charges are laid.

She does not currently face any charges in connection with her time in Victoria.

Cleroux has never been licensed as a nurse and only completed two years of nursing school.

Patients at B.C. Women's Hospital who've spoken with CBC about their experience have largely described her as unprofessional and rude, and they have questions about whether complications they experienced during gynecological surgeries are linked to her presence in the operating room.

Vancouver police have said that Cleroux used the name of a real nurse to gain employment in Vancouver, but investigators and the Provincial Health Services Authority have declined to say how the alleged fraud was discovered.

Cleroux is scheduled to make her next appearance in Vancouver provincial court on Jan. 5.

The B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives told CBC last week that it could not comment on whether there were any complaints about Cleroux in either city. The college posted a public notice about Cleroux in June.