'Extremely sorry': Nurse stole disabled patient's debit card to fund pokies, Lotto tickets

A nurse with a gambling problem stole his disabled patient’s debit card to fund his addiction.

He stole the debit card four times in October 2024 and made nine withdrawals, pocketing more than $4000 in cash for the pokies and Lotto tickets.

Now the nurse from Wellington, who has interim name suppression, has been suspended for 15 months by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal after being found guilty of professional misconduct.

According to the charge document, while employed at a residential care facility, the nurse misappropriated funds from a vulnerable patient by stealing his debit card and withdrawing cash.

The name and location of the facility are suppressed.

The first incident occurred on October 1, 2024, when the nurse made five withdrawals, totalling $1015.

This was followed by two withdrawals totalling $1603 on October 17, a withdrawal on October 30 totalling $1003 and another of the same amount on October 31.

He told colleagues who found out about his misconduct not to disclose to their employer what he was doing.

Today the nurse told the tribunal he was “extremely sorry” about the “huge mistake” he had made.

“I highly hope I’ll be able to get a chance to return to nursing,” he told the tribunal.

He hoped to return to nursing work on the floor of an aged care setting, not only because that’s where he specialised but because he wanted to make a “positive change” in aged care.

“I believe I can still make a positive change in a lot of old people,” he said.

The tribunal heard from his clinical psychologist, who said he struggled with a gambling addiction.

She said at the time of the offending his gambling was getting “out of control”..

“It was seen as a solution to his problems,” she said.

The tribunal heard the nurse was not fully honest with the psychologist about his level of addiction and offending, but she was confident the practitioner had a good chance of being rehabilitated.

As well as undergoing counselling and rehabilitation to get his addiction under control, he had cancelled his lotto account and no longer goes to venues that have pokie machines.

Nurse poses ‘significant risk’ - PCC

Counsel for the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC), Matthew McClelland, said the committee was concerned the nurse said he did not show any real insight and was concerned about incorrect information provided to his psychologist.

“In our submission this practitioner does pose a significant risk,” he said.

The PCC sought cancellation as an appropriate penalty.

The nurse’s lawyer Andy Bell said censure, conditions on his practising certificate and supervision would be a suitable penalty as the nurse was someone making “every effort to reform”.

“This is somebody that has shown they’re going to do the work.”

The tribunal found a suspension of 15 months was sufficient, as well as a censure and a number of conditions the nurse was to follow before and after returning to nursing.

The nurse was ordered to undertake treatment for gambling, maintain his exclusion from gambling venues and complete a course on nursing ethics before his period of suspension ends.

Following the suspension, the nurse needed to undertake 24 months of professional supervision, continue treatment for gambling and for three years he must not hold any management or financial role in the workplace.

He must disclose the tribunal’s decision to any employer or prospective employers.

He was ordered to pay 20% of costs.

Where to get help

If you, or someone you know, needs help with a gambling problem, the Gambling Helpline is available seven days a week at 0800 654 655 or by text 8006.

Other specialist contacts are:

• Māori gambling helpline - 0800 654 656

• Vai Lelei Pasifika gambling helpline - 0800 654 657

• Youth gambling helpline “In Ya Face” - 0800 654 659

• Gambling debt helpline - 0800 654 658

Or go to gamblinghelpline.co.nz.

Brianna McIlraith is a Queenstown-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the lower South Island. She has been a journalist since 2018 and has had a strong interest in business and financial journalism.