KEY POINTS:
A nurse de-registered for writing sexually explicit letters to a prisoner has had her name permanently suppressed to protect her young children.
The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal ordered that the woman's name be removed from the nurses register and that she pay nearly $7000 towards the cost of
her prosecution.
The then-Corrections Department nurse, "Ms O", formed an inappropriate relationship in 2004 with a male prisoner she was caring for in a prison's health unit.
Initially platonic, the relationship "soon evolved into one which involved Ms O communicating with the prisoner/patient in very sexually explicit ways", the tribunal says in its verdict.
The relationship went on "a number of months" and Ms O resigned from the department when it came to light.
"Even though the relationship in this case did not involve physical sexual intercourse, the relationship was one in which Ms O became deeply emotionally involved with the prisoner who was also her patient.
"... Ms O was clearly emotionally entwined with the prisoner/patient and wrote to him in a way which left nothing to the reader's imagination."
Her series of letters were found in the man's cell. Ms O had looked after him after he underwent surgery. "Ms O changed the surgical dressings, during which time she was alone with the prisoner for lengthy periods of time."
She might have been manipulated by him, but she clearly took advantage of her position to develop the relationship.
Ms O did not defend the charge of professional misconduct, of which she was found guilty.
Her husband continued to support her, the tribunal said, even though he was fully aware of the details of the case.
On advice from a psychologist, the tribunal took what it said was the rare step of permanently suppressing the nurse's name - to protect her two young children from the embarrassment likely to follow her identification.
"The circumstances of her offending are likely to attract considerable publicity and salacious gossip. Her two children are vulnerable and may suffer significant harm if their mother's name is published with the [case's details]."
The tribunal said health practitioners found guilty of professional misconduct almost inevitably were not granted permanent name suppression.
It suggested that if Ms O wished to practise again, she wait two years before seeking re-registration. It noted that when compared with others struck off professional registers, her offending was at the lower end of the spectrum. She had a previously unblemished record.
