Male nurse struck off for sexual contact with patient

A male nurse has been struck off for having inappropriate and intimate sexual contact with a patient at an unidentified child and adolescent psychiatric service.

Graham Stuart Brown went on to have a second inappropriate relationship with a traumatised young patient at a second centre two years after the first, before coming to the attention of the authorities.

He is one of two male nurses who have been struck off by the High Court after the fitness to practise committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland found them guilty of professional misconduct for inappropriate relationships with female patients.

The board, which is the regulatory body for the nursing profession, does not give the nurses’ addresses, identifying them only by their names and registration numbers. Mr Brown’s registration PIN number is 82278.*

A third nurse was censured after stealing nearly €24,000 from residents’ accounts and the housekeeping float at the community house where she worked.

Stole money, food

Margaret Dolores (Margo) Quinn, whose registration number is 2268, stole the money by altering receipts and adding false entries to the accounts over a six-year period from 2005 to 2011. She also stole groceries and cleaning agents from the house and, it was found, failed to act in the best interests of those in her care at the community house.

In Mr Brown’s case, it was found he engaged in inappropriate and intimate sexual contact and an inappropriate relationship with “Ms A” in 2008 and 2009, at a time when Ms A and members of her family were patients of a child and adolescent service.

Mr Brown then lied about the relationship when asked about it by a consultant child psychiatrist and clinical nurse specialist. He was also found to have divulged confidential patient information to a third party without authority or justification.

In 2010 and 2011, Mr Brown engaged in a second inappropriate relationship with a vulnerable resident in his care while he was working at a different facility for young people with complex emotional and behavioural needs stemming from traumatic events in their lives.

In February 2011, Mr Brown was advised by a senior member of staff of the inappropriate nature of the relationship and was told to cease contact with “Ms D”. He agreed to do so, but resumed the relationship.

In April that year, the operations manager at the centre told Mr Brown to cease the relationship and he again agreed to do so. The reasons for this direction, necessary in the interest of Ms D, were explained to Mr Brown.

Despite his agreement, Mr Brown resumed the relationship, according to the finding.

In total, the board found eight nurses guilty of professional misconduct in its latest batch of findings.

*This article was edited on 02/04/2015