Tribunal suspends nurse for professional misconduct

23 Nov 2020

A tribunal has suspended an enrolled nurse after she admitted engaging in professional misconduct by submitting false and misleading documents in support of a job application. 

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) granted Ms Georgia Louise Crutchley registration as an enrolled nurse in July 2018 and Ms Crutchley applied for employment as an enrolled nurse in the same month. 

Ms Crutchley admitted that she had submitted a number of false and misleading documents in support of her application for employment, including a forged Diploma of Nursing certificate, a false statement of service and several resumes and cover letters which overstated her work experience. Ms Crutchley admitted that her conduct amounts to professional misconduct. 

There were a number of mitigating factors in this matter, including that Ms Crutchley was 18 years old at the time and showed a significant degree of remorse and insight. 

An agreement was reached by the parties and, on 22 June 2020, the State Administrative Tribunal (the tribunal) ordered that Ms Crutchley’s conduct constitutes professional misconduct, reprimanded Ms Crutchley, suspended her registration for three months and ordered that conditions be placed on her registration requiring her to undertake further education. Ms Crutchley was also ordered to contribute $1,500 to the NMBA’s costs of the tribunal proceedings. 

The tribunal’s orders are available on the eCourts website.