RAH nurse David Campese reprimanded and banned for unwanted sexualised conduct

A public hospital nurse has been disqualified for a series of “deplorable” sexualised workplace incidents involving a female colleague.

A Royal Adelaide Hospital nurse has been banned and reprimanded for a series of six workplace incidents involving “unwanted sexualised conduct” towards a female colleague.

In a published ruling, the South Australian Employment Tribunal found David Benjamin Campese’s conduct – which included twice slapping his colleague on the bottom and touching her breast – was “deplorable”.

The tribunal expressed “strong condemnation” of Mr Campese’s conduct which also included making sexually explicit gestures toward the colleague, handling her in a sexually suggestive manner and inappropriately placing stickers on her breasts.

All of the incidents had occurred while the pair were working at the hospital. At the time Mr Campese, 37, was “in a position of authority as a team leader”.

It found the conduct “should not be tolerated under any circumstance let alone during the provision of any health services”.

A Royal Adelaide Hospital theatre nurse has been reprimanded and disqualified for 12 months for unwanted sexualised conduct involving a colleague at work. Picture: iStock.

The tribunal also noted that on two “extremely serious” occasions incidents had occurred when unconscious patients were present.

The tribunal found those incidents were “both disrespectful and unprofessional”.

“We consider that there is a need to send a very strong message to him, the nursing and midwifery professions and indeed to all health professionals at large, that it is a very serious matter to traverse professional boundaries within the workplace in particular and that such conduct will not be tolerate in either the public or professional interests,” the tribunal found.

The tribunal had earlier found Mr Campese guilty of professional misconduct. In that ruling, the tribunal noted his conduct was “brazen and arrogant” and that Mr Campese was “fixated on his own self-gratification”.

The ruling notes Mr Campese had “blankly denied” each of the alleged incidents, except for one where he “struck her on the bottom in full view of fellow hospital workers” when the conduct “could hardly be denied”.

Mr Campese had been a registered nurse in public health for 14 years but surrendered his registration on August 18, 2023.

The tribunal also noted Mr Campese, who had an unblemished record before and after the incidents, had apologised to the colleague but only via a written submission to the tribunal.

The complainant had told the tribunal in a statement that she felt betrayed and had suffered financially and with her mental health due to the conduct.

The tribunal deemed Mr Campese’s conduct as “inconsistent with him being a fit and proper person to hold registration in his profession”.

He was formally reprimanded, banned from working in any capacity as a health professional for 12 months and ordered to pay costs.

Originally published as RAH nurse David Campese reprimanded and banned for unwanted sexualised conduct