Tribunal orders two-year disqualification for former nurse

06 Jul 2021

A tribunal has ordered that a former nurse be reprimanded and disqualified from applying for registration for two years for professional misconduct. 

On 15 August 2016, Ms Kathryn Lovett was registered as an enrolled nurse when she was convicted and fined for receipt of stolen goods and presenting a forged prescription to a pharmacy. Ms Lovett failed to notify the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) of the charges or conviction, which she was required to do within seven days.

In May 2017, Ms Lovett was working at an aged care facility when she misappropriated one tablet of oxycodone and inappropriately removed and returned 12 tramadol tablets. Ms Lovett was later found guilty, without conviction, of the theft of the tablet of oxycodone. She again failed to notify the NMBA of the charges and finding of guilt.

Ms Lovett failed to declare a change to her criminal history in her 2016-2017 renewal of registration.

The NMBA referred Ms Lovett to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (tribunal) on 24 June 2020. She initially engaged with the proceedings but did not appear at the hearing and was unregistered at the time of the final hearing.

The tribunal found that Ms Lovett’s behaviour constituted professional misconduct and ordered that Ms Lovett be reprimanded and disqualified from applying for registration as a nurse for two years.

The tribunal’s decision was published on the Austlii website on 11 May 2021.