Woman used fake CV to get job as nurse

A Hastings woman yesterday admitted using a fake curriculum vitae to gain employment as nurse with a taxpayer-funded Hawke's Bay Maori health trust.

Caroline Eileen Abbott, 48, care associate, appeared in Hastings District Court and pleaded guilty to a charge of using a document with intent to defraud.

Abbott was employed by Waipukurau-based Te Whatuiapiti Trust in August 2002, working as a nurse and providing services to Te Aute College -- despite only being qualified as a care associate.

Crown prosecutor Jonathan Krebs told the court Abbott was working at a Havelock North resthome in late July 2002, when she was approached by a work colleague -- a registered nurse -- and asked if she would be interested in an enrolled nurse's position with a rural Hawke's Bay Maori trust health provider.

When asked, Abbott said she had a practising certificate, and handed over a copy of her curriculum vitae.

Included in Abbott's work history was that between June 2000 and April 2001 she had been employed as a nurse.

She was also listed as being employed as the manager of a rest-home, including nursing care, working as a co-ordinator/nurse with a Hastings-based homecare service, and working at Masterton Hospital.

Later inquiries revealed Masterton Hospital had no records of Abbott.

Abbott was offered two positions, one as an enrolled nurse providing nursing services to the college, and one as a counsellor providing counselling services to both the college and other clients of the trust.

She began work at the college on August 19, 2002, as sole nurse responsible for the conduct of the college's morning clinics. This was later expanded to include afternoon clinics.

Later that year a second registered nurse employed by the trust learned that Abbott was not an enrolled nurse, and therefore unable to produce a practising certificate.

The nurse confronted Abbott and told the trust's chief executive officer.

Abbott's employment status was changed from enrolled nurse to care associate, but she continued to work both clinics at the college until the end of that week.

At the end of November 2002 Abbott was placed under the supervision of a registered nurse. She later resigned from the trust, effective from March 3, 2003.

Abbott told investigators she gained work experience in a Masterton resthome and Masterton Hospital, where she worked as a nurse aide/community nurse.

Since that time she had held caregiver positions, but had not undertaken any formal nursing training.

Abbott said she thought she was qualified to work as an enrolled nurse because, after making contact with Hawke's Bay Hospital, she believed the roles of care associate, for which she was suitably experienced, and enrolled nurse were the same.

Judge Geoff Rea remanded Abbott at large to appear in court again on December 17 for sentencing.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY