A nurse was suspended after making an inappropriate joke about children (Image: Getty Images)
A hospital nurse has been suspended for six months after telling what a tribunal described as a “deeply shocking” joke involving children during a conversation with a colleague. James Murray made the remark while working at St Andrews Community Hospital, according to a ruling by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The tribunal heard that Murray said words to the effect of “if they can bleed, they can breed” during a conversation with a colleague on July 22, 2022. He admitted making the remark but claimed he was repeating a joke originally told by comedian Ricky Gervais.
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He claimed it was a “Ricky Gervais” joke (Image: Getty Images)
However, Gervais later responded to the ruling on social media, saying he had never told such a joke.
“I have never said anything like this in a sketch, a screenplay, stand up or privately,” he wrote.
The tribunal found the conversation was a “highly inappropriate and unprofessional discussion of a sexual nature involving children”.
It said the exchange took place in front of other staff and could potentially have been overheard by patients.
One colleague told the panel she found the remarks “really disgusting”.
“You don’t know anybody’s backstory,” she said. “For me, it particularly upset me.”
Murray argued the comment had been misunderstood and was intended as humour.
“We didn’t make this particular joke up,” he told the hearing.
“We were repeating the joke or interpreting the joke.”
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But the panel concluded that the discussion went beyond simply repeating a joke and included further sexualised remarks involving children.
“After considering all the evidence, the panel was not satisfied that it supported the contention that the exchange was confined to a simple retelling of a joke,” the ruling said.
“Although described at the time as a ‘joke’, the panel determined that such language has no place in a professional healthcare setting.”
The tribunal said the behaviour showed a “serious lack of judgment” and risked damaging the reputation of the nursing profession.
The hearing also heard that earlier the same day Murray had sworn and made an offensive gesture towards a charge nurse during a discussion about staffing related to Covid-19 protocols.
Following the investigation, the NMC panel ruled that Murray should be suspended from practising as a nurse for six months.