Nurse banned from practicing after sex with psychiatric patient
A nurse in the Netherlands has been permanently banned from working in healthcare after having a secret sexual relationship with a psychiatric patient he met at the clinic where he worked, NOS reported. The disciplinary tribunal for healthcare professionals called his behavior “crossing professional boundaries” and “unacceptable.”
The patient was admitted in 2021 to a high intensive care unit with a manic-psychotic episode. After she was moved to another ward, the nurse allegedly exchanged phone numbers with her, leading to a two-year relationship.
The nurse denied it was sexual, but the patient said it was. She told the tribunal he forced her to stay silent, delete messages, and meet only in places where they would not be recognized. The relationship was uncovered when she told a psychologist.
The tribunal ruled that a sexual relationship had occurred and said that even a friendship would have been inappropriate given the patient’s dependency. It found that the nurse pressured the patient to keep the affair secret. The tribunal removed him from the BIG register, citing a “lack of insight” and a “risk of recurrence,” which permanently bars him from working in healthcare.
