Theft charge leads to suspension from practice.

AN ENROLLED nurse (EN) who was convicted on theft and other charges in 2001, has been suspended from practice for six months.

The Nursing Council, in a decision in November last year, exercised its disciplinary powers in respect of an EN, convicted in the New Plymouth District Court in April 2001. The EN was convicted on one charge of theft by a person providing power of attorney (pursuant to sections 223 and 227 (A) of the Crimes Act 1961) and 17 counts of using documentation for pecuniary advantage (section 229A(b)). The nurse was sentenced to [bur months" periodic detention and ordered by the Court to pay reparation of $1587.22 to the victim and $1220.62 to the police.

The nurse became involved with an older person, having known him for many years, assisting him with dally domestic tasks. The older person subsequently appointed the nurse as one of two people with powers of attorney, which included authority to be a bank signatory. Sometime later the nurse transferred ownership of a car into her name and began drawing down monies by means of cheques, automatic teller machine and eftpos transactions for her own benefit. When police arrested her, the nurse claimed the transactions were legitimate and denied any knowledge of the older person's demented condition.

The Council made the following orders:

* that the nurse be suspended from practice for six months;

* that the nurse pay $580, being 30 percent towards the costs and expenses of and incidental to the Council's inquiry; and

* that a notice stating the effect of the orders be published in the New Zealand Gazette, Kai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand, Nursing Review, the Nursing Council's Newsletter and be made available to accredited members of the media upon request, with suppression of all identifying details of the case.

The Nursing Council has the power to discipline all nurses and publish all its decisions inKai Tiaki Nursing New Zealand and other relevant publications. It should be noted that the above notices do not necessarily involve NZNO members. NZNO provides legal advice and representation only to its members.