When the relationship ended, he had a brief sexual relationship with another man, whose records he also accessed without permission.<\/p>\n
The tribunal found he was guilty of malpractice and conduct likely to bring disrepute to the nursing profession.<\/p>\n
The man was censured, suspended from nursing for one month after he returns from an overseas trip and he was to attend a training course regarding ethics, cultural safety and power imbalance. <\/p>\n
He was also ordered to pay 50% in costs.<\/p>\n
From June 25, 2021, to June 26, 2024, while employed as a registered nurse, the man inappropriately accessed his ex-partner\u2019s medical records 10 times while he was not under his care.<\/p>\n
He had been a nurse for 10 years and worked at two medical centres.<\/p>\n
He was with his then-partner for a year, so accessed the man\u2019s records during and after the relationship ended.<\/p>\n
About a year and a half after the relationship ended he had a sexual relationship with a man he met on Grindr. He went to the man\u2019s address.<\/p>\n
Following this interaction, he inappropriately accessed this man\u2019s medical records while he was not under his care.<\/p>\n
While searching through the man\u2019s medical records, he realised the man\u2019s address was the same as his ex-partner\u2019s and they were each other\u2019s next of kin and they were now in a relationship.<\/p>\n
The nurse was told by a doctor at the practice where he worked not to access the man\u2019s records again. Despite this, he did.<\/p>\n
On one occasion he contacted the man by phone for healthcare-related purposes, despite there being a conflict of interest.<\/p>\n
He failed to disclose or address the conflict of interest, even when asked by doctors if he knew the men.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time of the events I blurred the boundaries between my personal life and professional role,\u201d the nurse told the tribunal.<\/p>\n
He said he\u2019d struggled with his sexuality for some time. His mother died and he said he had navigated his sexuality without support.<\/p>\n
Because of stigma and the fact same-sex marriage is illegal in the country he is from, he has been unable to discuss his sexuality with his father, who does not yet know he is gay.<\/p>\n
This meant publication of his name would cause him and his family distress. He was also concerned the area he lived in had a small LGBTQI+ community, which could lead to the identification of his former partner.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdeally I want to come out to my father at a time I feel is appropriate. If the publication of my name is a way of outing myself to a father that would take that right away from me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tribunal granted him name suppression. <\/p>\n
The nurse told the tribunal that since the offending he has completed further training and become more aware of identifying and managing conflicts of interest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was not fully truthful; this was out of fear and shame,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI regret this lack of honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n
This had taught him significant lessons and he had not had any further complaints since the offending, he said.<\/p>\n
Brianna McIlraith is a Queenstown-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the lower South Island. She has been a journalist since 2018 and has had a strong interest in business and financial journalism.<\/p>\n