"Caught up in a teaching moment..."

Some folks approach acquiring a new skill by reading about it, and only then trying it out. 

Some view a video on YouTube and follow along when they put the instructions into practice. 

There are those who just jump in and figure things out as they go along.

Still others work with a trusted mentor looking over their shoulder as they learn on the job. Which is how Ron McDonald (not that Ron McDonald), way up in Newfoundland, was taught how to extract a tooth. He had oral surgeon Dr. Louis Bourget showing him how.

Which would have made a lot of sense had Ron McDonald been a dental or medical student. Instead, he's a prison guard.

Oh. 

In October 2020, two correctional officers from the Bishop's Falls Correctional Centre — Ron McDonald and Roy Goodyear — accompanied an inmate to the clinic.

According to the agreed statement of facts, when the patient was sedated, Bourget was explaining the procedure to the guards, and he then suggested one of the guards remove four teeth. McDonald took out the teeth while Goodyear recorded the whole thing. (Source: Yahoo News)

I mean, explaining the procedure to the guards is one thing. And it's a good thing. Most of us like learning new things on the job, even when it's not directly tied to our position, even when it's not directly tied for anything on our potential career path. 

But there's learning how to do new things, and learning about new things. And this should have been a case of the latter, not the former.

But Dr. Bourget got a bit carried away.

According to the statement of facts, Bourget said he "got caught up in a teaching moment" but regretted the decision after the procedure.

"Caught up in a teaching moment"? What the ever-loving...

How does this make any sense?

Was Bourget motivated by kindness? Was he genuinely thinking that he could help the prison guards expand their horizons, achieve a small sense of accomplishment?

Was Bourget motivated by ego? Was he just showing off?

And what about the patient who's four teeth were being yanked out? Sure, he was sedated, but was he totally under? When I was eighteen, I had my wisdom teeth removed. Back then, this procedure was done in a hospital under general anesthesia. But I believe most teeth pulling is done under local. There was no mention of an anesthesiologist on the scene, although a dental surgeon could have training in anesthesiology. Perhaps Roy Goodyear, the other corrections officer, stepped in to administer the laughing gas. Yet another "teaching moment" for Dr. Bourget.

Whether he was fully under or slightly out of it, how did the prisoner feel when he realized that he was being operated on by a screw?

Hmmmm.

Add cruel meany to kindness and ego on the list of possible motivators.

Anyway, this old story, from way back in October 2020, is in the news now because Bourget, who had been charged with assault for the incident, was recently granted something called "an absolute discharge" by a Canadian court. 

It's the lowest level of criminal sentence that an adult offender can receive. It's a finding of guilt but no criminal conviction is registered and there is no probation order.

Although he had been sanctioned/had his license suspended by several dental boards, "Dr. Louis Bourget will not have a criminal record."

Among the extentuating circumstances cited by the judge were:

...the pressureothe pandemic, Bourget's financial loss, his guilty plea, his low risk to re-offend and his completion of sensitivity training.

Although the charges against Goodyear were dropped, both guards had been charged. And both lost their jobs. (Goodyear had brought the situation to light by posting the video on social media. But of course.)

And the patient (Blair Harris) - who, because he was sedated was unable to give informed consent to have McDonald pull his teeth out - is suing those involved. 

Yet another "teaching moment."