Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, Nur13/244D, (2 October 2013)
The Director of Proceedings brought a charge against Nurse Paul Jury in the Health Practitioner's Disciplinary Tribunal. Mr Jury defended the charge which alleged that he had used unreasonable force on a patient and had applied his knee to the small of the patient's back.
The case concerned a 76-year-old female patient measuring 150cm tall. The patient suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and was known to become violent, disruptive and abusive during schizophrenic episodes. Mr Jury was caring for the patient on an evening on which she was particularly agitated. The patient was found in the lounge area of the facility, covered in her own faeces. She was taken for a bath. Mr Jury made derogatory comments towards the patient during the time he was bathing her and when she would not comply with his instructions, left her sitting in the bath after he had emptied the water.
The patient was later escorted to a seclusion room. While escorting the patient Mr Jury placed his knee in the small of the patient's back in order to propel her forward. The Tribunal were concerned about this unorthodox application of force and found that Mr Jury's behavior showed a significant disregard for the patient's best interests. The Tribunal concluded that there were significant departures from acceptable practice warranting a disciplinary sanction. The charge of professional misconduct was made out and the Tribunal imposed six months of supervision as well as $27,350 in costs.
The Tribunal's decision can be found at: https://www.hpdt.org.nz/Charge-Details?file=Nur13/244D
Last reviewed February 2019