Beaumaris nurse Jayne Beare took stolen drugs at work

A nurse who took opioids while working at a clinic has been barred from nursing and says she is “deeply remorseful and ashamed”.

VCAT heard Jayne Beare was struggling with postnatal depression.

A Melbourne nurse who took stolen drugs on the job at a Beaumaris clinic has been barred from nursing for at least six months and accused of endangering patients.

VCAT heard Jayne Beare took restricted drugs from Seaview Family Medical Centre and worked while under the influence for several months until she was caught in June 2019.

Beare, who initially “went into panic mode” and denied wrongdoing, later admitted to “self medicating” every second shift.

She characterised this as “occasional use”, which she said began when she joined Seaview part-time in March 2019 and was struggling with postnatal depression.

But the Nursing and Midwifery Board submitted that her behaviour – which involved “significant quantities” of drugs including morphine, valium and a benzodiazepine – “put her patients at risk of harm”.

Beare’s use of benzodiazepine and other drugs was found to have put patients at risk of harm.

The Tribunal found she used her job to order restricted medications from an online pharmaceutical service for “her own use” and took medications from Seaview’s drug safe.

They found she also falsified Seaview’s morphine records but ruled an allegation related to improperly storing restricted medications – which related to the day she was caught – had not been proven.

VCAT heard the police were called but Seaview decided not to press charges.

The board pushed for a one-year disqualification. Beare agreed that her registration should be cancelled but argued for no disqualification period because it had now been four years since the drug-taking and her agreement to not practise.

She also said she had made progress recovering from her mental health and addiction issues; accepted responsibility for her actions and was “deeply remorseful and ashamed”.

They heard she did not intend to return to any nursing role that required handling medications, but would like to register as a nurse eventually to help her find work in health project management.

VCAT handed down their orders last week, reprimanding Beare, cancelling her registration and – citing delays in the hearing – chose a 6-month disqualification period.

The decision to allow Beare – who was registered under the last name Buckley – to register later this year will rest with the Board.