Drug thief aged care nurse disqualified from practising

AN AGED care nurse who stole drugs from residents has been disqualified from practising for six months after a finding of professional misconduct.

An aged care nusre who stole Alepam from residents at Bupa Rangeville aged care facility has been found to have engaged in professional misconduct.

AN AGED care nurse who stole drugs from residents of the facility she worked at has been disqualified from practising for six months after a finding of professional misconduct.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Verity Eve Britten engaged in professional misconduct when she stole 14 Alepam pills from residents of Bupa Aged Care at Rangeville, where she worked up until July 30, 2018.

QCAT also made a finding of unprofessional conduct against Ms Britten because she did not notify the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia within seven days of being charged with four criminal offences on July 18, 2018.

According to orders recently published by QCAT, Ms Britten permanently worked the night shift at Bupa Rangeville, where over a number of shifts, she stole 14 pills of Alepam in 2018.

An anonymous tip-off led police to search her home on July 18, 2018, where they found cannabis, utensils, 14 used hypodermic needles and syringes, and other drug-associated paraphernalia.

"In her interactions with police, she denied taking the tablets over a period from July 13-15, 2018, but admitted her conduct to the general manager of the facility a few weeks later on July 26," the orders said.

She was suspended from her employment on July 18, 2018, and terminated on July 30, 2018.

On October 18, 2018, Ms Britten pleaded guilty to one count of stealing as a servant, three charges of possession of cannabis, one charge each of possessing utensils and failing to properly dispose of syringes, and was fined $2000 by the magistrate.

No conviction was recorded.

She did not renew her nursing registration when it expired in October 2019.

QCAT judicial member John Roberston said Ms Britten had co-operated with the disciplinary proceedings and "has expressed her deep remorse for her conduct".

He said Ms Britten's conduct in stealing prescription medication from vulnerable patients involved a serious breach of trust "and represents a significant departure from the professional standards expected of nurses, and also breached a number of the principles set out in the Professional Conduct and Code of Ethics".

He also noted Ms Britten was "clearly impaired" at the time she committed the offences, making reference to her mental health and substance abuse history.

Ms Britten was found to have engaged in one count of professional misconduct, one count of unprofessional conduct.

QCAT also made orders that she be reprimanded, and that she be disqualified from applying for nursing registration for a period of six months from May 26, 2020.

She was also prohibited from providing any health service, whether on a paid or voluntary basis, unless and until such time she was again registered as a nurse.

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