A nurse who stole personal protective equipment, including face masks, during a national shortage and COVID-19 pandemic has been disqualified for 12 months.
Selvarani Burwood was working casually for a tertiary institution as a clinical nurse facilitator in March 2020 when she pressured students under her supervision to help her steal PPE from a hospital.
She told the students that she would be travelling to England in two weeks, was going to places that were high risk for COVID-19, she was worried about her health and she needed the students to take masks from the wards for her.
The West Australian nurse asked them to block the view of other staff members while she removed PPE from an equipment trolley and put them in her handbag.
She also stole PPE from a storage room and placed them in her students' uniform pockets.
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia was notified of Burwood's actions once she was arrested and charged with one count of stealing.
Burwood was found guilty of stealing 15 face masks, a handful of disposable gloves and 10 alcohol wipes at a WA Magistrates Court hearing.
The board referred her to the State Administrative Tribunal who found Burwood engaged in professional misconduct and ordered that she have her registration cancelled and is disqualified from applying for registration for 12 months.
