Nurse 'sexually exploited' patient

A male mental health nurse faces the possibility of a public disciplinary hearing after he "sexually exploited" a recent and still-vulnerable female patient whom he had given a bottle of wine.

The woman, a patient of a district health board's mental health service, suffered from major depression with associated anxiety and panic attacks, alcohol issues and a history of thoughts about suicide, Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill said in his decision on the case, published this afternoon.

The patient -- those involved are not named in the decision -- told her mental health service case manager that she had had sexual intercourse with the registered nurse, who had been involved in her care several months earlier.

"The registered nurse had arrived at the woman's residence in a district health board car, and had provided her with a bottle of wine before the sexual intercourse occurred," the commissioner's office said.

"The registered nurse returned later that day, and they had sexual intercourse again. The registered nurse told the woman that he would return the following week with more wine, and stated that he had always fancied her."

Mr Hill said the nurse's conduct was "unprofessional and unethical" and in breach of the code of patients' rights and the DHB's code of conduct.

The commissioner's office said he found that, "by having sexual intercourse with her, providing her with alcohol, and offering to bring more alcohol, the registered nurse sexually exploited the woman".

He recommended that the Nursing Council review his competence and referred him to the commissioner's independent prosecutor to decide whether proceedings should be taken.

The prosecutor has not yet decided whether to lay charges at the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal.

- Martin Johnston of the New Zealand Herald

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