31 Mar 2011

Nurse who falsified records loses registration

5:46 pm on 31 March 2011

A nurse who falsified records and asked another nurse to steal drugs for him has had his registration cancelled.

The decision on the former Dunedin nurse, Rabindranath Joyram, was issued by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal on Thursday.

The tribunal says Mr Joyram falsified the vital signs of two patients in Dunedin Hospital in early 2009, and failed to check a blood-sugar result on another patient, causing her to become hypoglycaemic.

After he was sacked, he also asked another nurse to steal a registered drug for him.

The tribunal says the 59-year-old nurse explained one false recording by saying he lacked time to do it properly and wanted to look good in front of a trainee doctor who shared his flat.

It says, however, that honesty and documentation are essential for nurses and the breaches were serious.

It's understood the British-registered nurse has left New Zealand.