Tribunal suspends nurse, orders conditions after suspension

28 Aug 2015

A tribunal found a nurse engaged in professional misconduct, suspended her registration for six months and ordered that conditions be imposed on her registration for 12 months after the suspension expires.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) referred registered nurse Tammy Jacobsen to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (the tribunal) because of concerns about her treatment of two patients at the Brookfield Village Care Centre in December 2010. Ms Jacobsen was a clinical nurse consultant at the centre.

Ms Jacobsen admitted she had administered a continuous subcutaneous infusion of Midazolam, Morphine and Maxolon to Patient A, using a syringe driver and without doctor’s orders.

She also admitted she had administered a continuous subcutaneous infusion of Midazolam, Morphine, Hyoscine and Maxolon to Patient B, using a syringe driver and without doctor’s orders.

In October 2011, the NMBA had imposed conditions on Ms Jacobsen’s registration as an interim step to protect public health and safety. The conditions restricted her registration and required her to practise in an NMBA approved position, stopped her from working for a nursing agency, required her to work under the indirect supervision of a senior registered nurse when providing clinical care and prohibited her from administering any Schedule 8 medications.

The tribunal found that Ms Jacobsen had engaged in professional misconduct.

While the tribunal noted that it would ordinarily impose a 12-month suspension in these circumstances, it took into account time when Ms Jacobsen had not been able to secure work because of the conditions on her registration. As a result, the tribunal suspended Ms Jacobsen’s registration for six months.

After the suspension, conditions were imposed upon Ms Jacobsen’s registration for 12 months. Under these conditions, Ms Jacobsen must practise in an NMBA approved position, is prohibited from working for a nursing agency, must work under the indirect supervision of a senior registered nurse when providing clinical care and is prohibited from administering any schedule 8 medications.

The tribunal ordered Ms Jacobsen to pay the NMBA’s costs.

The tribunal’s full reasons for decision are published on Austlii.

Note: An administrative issue meant this news item was not published on the NMBA website until 18 December 2017.