High Court ordered an inquiry into the dismissal of a nurse for having an affair with a vulnerable woman

DUBLIN: The High Court called for an investigation into the dismissal of a psychiatric nurse for having an affair with a vulnerable patient. The action was based on a petition filed by the nurse questioning the decision to expel.

Mr. Justice Anthony Barr referred the case to the Fitness to Practice Committee (FPC) of the Irish Nursing and Midwifery Board. The High Court directed the Fitness to Practice Committee to review the petitioner’s request not to attempt to change the name in the dormant register.

The psychiatric nurse was removed from the register for allegedly having a completely inappropriate relationship with the vulnerable patient. The nurse had moved on to another job after admitting that having been in contact with the young woman for two years was a violation of professional morals.

However, he told the high court that he was still in a relationship with the woman. But the nurse argued that the report, which was dismissed without any investigation, was a constitutional denial of legal rights. After accepting this, the High Court dismissed the report and referred the case to the FPC.

The HSE report that he was fired came on October 11, 2018. The nurse questioned the legitimacy of this. The nurse had asked that her name be removed from the inactive register as it would prevent her from working again. He told the court that he had rejected it for no reason.

The nurse was hired by HSE in 2007 to provide counseling for a 30-year-old woman with anxiety disorder. In 2008, he moved to another part of the country. With that, the therapeutic relationship with the patient ended. But he continued his contact with her.

The woman had revealed to another councilor that she had had a relationship, including sexual relations, with the nurse between March 2007 and June 2009. Justice Barr said the HSE investigation and the Trust in Care report made adverse findings against the applicant but did not substantiate in the report some serious allegations of sexual harassment.