Blair Easdon disqualified from nursing after sexually assaulting unconscious patients

A private hospital nurse who groped sedated patients because he had stopped using porn as his coping mechanism has asked the medical board to let him return to the profession.

Easdon was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault in a Victorian Magistrates’ Court in 2021

A private hospital nurse who groped sedated patients because he had stopped using porn as his coping mechanism has asked the medical board to let him return to the profession.

In 2019, Blair Easdon while working as an anaesthetic theatre nurse at an unnamed private hospital touched a female patient on the breast while she was unconscious after her surgical procedure.

Easdon — who had been a nurse since December 2013 — also brushed his hand past and groped the breast of another unconscious female patient, aged 18, and intentionally checked the sanitary pad of another sedated female patient in her mid-20s for “sexual gratification”.

After sexually assaulting the patients, Easdon told his then-fiancee what had happened.

She encouraged him to talk to their pastor who urged Eason to tell his employer and police.

Hospital management also offered Easdon the chance to self-report to AHPRA before they would make a mandatory report.

Police were unable to identify two of the three nurse’s victims because they were unaware of the assaults due to being sedated at the time and Easdon could not recall exact date of the attacks.

The third victim was identified but not notified of her assault. It’s not known why she was not told.

Easdon was charged and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault in a Victorian Magistrates’ Court in 2021 and was given an 18-month corrections order without conviction and ordered to complete a behaviour program.

At the time, the magistrate said the assaults were the “grossest breaches of trust”.

“However, the case is remarkable for a number of reasons: Firstly, you volunteered that information to the people at your workplace, you co-operated fully with the police,” they said.

“But for your confession and co-operation there would have been no prosecution in this matter, and that entitles those facets of this case to be given staunch consideration.”

This week, Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) heard arguments from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia against Easdon who was trying to get his nursing registration back.

Easdon — who is currently working in an administrative role in the health sector — said he wanted to be able to return to nursing “as soon as practicable”.

“I desire to contribute to society in a positive way, using the skills and knowledge I have been privileged to learn to care for patients as a registered nurse,” he said.

“I also lament not being able to contribute during the pandemic.”

He said he had “learnt his lesson” and believed he could be a “safe, competent nurse”.

“I feel a sense of permission to call out similar behaviour in others should I ever come across it, because I have called it out in myself first,” he said.

“I have invested a lot of time into understanding the experiences of (too) many women, through websites, podcasts, conversations with friends, books and more, and to increase my understanding of what I can do to make a positive difference rather than be part of the problem.”

However, the nursing board argued the assaults were very serious and a “substantial period of time” should be imposed before Easdon could reapply for his registration.

It said he had not self-disclosed by choice — instead he had been compelled to do so.

In its decision, the tribunal said it believed the self-disclosures were more “nuanced” than the Board had suggested and Easdon “knew he had to make appropriate disclosures”.

It stated it believe he posed a “low risk of reoffending”, noted he had been given a Working With Children clearance in 2023, and accepted reports from Easdon’s psychologist who will continue to provide reports to the nursing board.

Easdon was reprimanded and disqualified from holding a nursing licence for another 12 months.