Inquest told of crucial tape

By DICK CHAPMAN, TORONTO SUN Lisa Shore's charge nurse made a crucial audiotape report on the 10-year-old Thornhill girl about half an hour before she was found dead, an inquest jury has been told.

However, neither nurse Ruth Doerksen nor the Hospital for Sick Children mentioned the tape made Oct. 22, 1998 and the coroner's office did not know about it until last week.

Nurses routinely leave taped reports as well as written notes and charts for nurses on the next shift. But the Shore tape was recorded over.

Doerksen testified she made the recording about half an hour before Lisa was found dead at 7:18 a.m.

FAILED TO CHECK

In previous testimony, Doerksen could not explain why she failed to check Lisa at 7 a.m. that day.

Juror Gail Allegri asked Doerksen if it occurred to her when she made the tape she'd been "operating without doctor's orders all night."

Doerksen replied she made such tapes without referring to doctor's orders.

Also at issue is whether Doerksen hooked Lisa to a corometric monitor, which measures breathing and heart rate.

Doerksen has admitted she failed to read a patient care summary calling for close monitoring of Lisa's vital signs.

Shore family lawyer Frank Gomberg suggested Doerksen realized at 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. she'd been remiss.

"I suggest that sometime after you saw that summary you went into the room and saw Lisa Shore was dead," he said. "I suggest you then went and got a corometric monitor, brought it to Lisa's room and put it on the shelf."

Doerksen denied it: "You may suggest whatever you wish."