Nurse suspended for inappropriate texts

A former South Auckland nurse has been suspended from practising for 18 months after phoning and sending inappropriate text messages to mental health patients.

Collin Kora contacted an acutely ill patient several times outside of work hours on his work phone, allegedly telling her he was watching porn and phoning another patient asking if he could go to her house and watch DVDs, the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal heard.

Between May and September 2010, the registered nurse also sent text messages to a female colleague at Counties Manukau District Health Board.

Kora was employed in the Intensive Community Team at the time.

His response to the allegations from the two mental health patients was that both clients were paranoid schizophrenics who misinterpreted what had occurred.

Disciplinary proceedings were brought against him by Counties Manukau DHB, which resulted in his resignation. Charges were also laid by the Professional Conduct Committee.

In May 2010, Kora sent 27 messages within four hours to his patient. The texting continued until the issue came to a head in September 2010 when the patient told her key worker ''Collin wants to f*** me''.

She also told the worker about a conversation where Kora told her he was watching porn. During the 20 minute conversation she also arranged to meet him at the hospital one morning for sex.

While there was no direct evidence of the content in messages between the patient and Kora, the tribunal's view was it had been interpreted as being of a sexual nature

She later received a text message from Kora saying he wouldn't be in because his aunty had died.

Around the same time Kora sent personal messages to a female colleague in social work.

The messages included asking her to the movies and apologising for ''being forward''.

He told her he was ''shaking'' from nervousness and he was keen to have lunch with her.

''Sory im rude a? I so hv a sily crush on u ay so sory.''(sic)

The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal heard evidence from the colleague.

She told the tribunal that the team dealt with all female patients who were described as vulnerable, high needs, forensic clients with mental health issues.

Most had been seriously abused and many were uninhibited as a result of their mental health issues and made a lot of sexually explicit comments.

She said she agreed to have lunch with Kora after he ''sulked'' following her text response to him saying she was in a relationship.

She said she later cancelled the ''professional'' lunch meeting after receiving further texts from him.

The tribunal took into account a number of factors including the ''repeated'' nature of phone contact with patients and their vulnerability. It also considered Kora's efforts to discontinue one of the relationships, and his written apology early in the proceedings.

Kora was ordered to undertake a course on ethical behaviour and boundaries as approved by the Nursing Council within 12 months of re-commencing practice. He was also ordered to work under supervision for up to 18 months from re-commencement and to pay 30 per cent of the estimated $8000 inquiry costs of the inquiry and prosecution by the Professional Conduct Committee and 30 per cent of costs of the tribunal hearing.

- © Fairfax NZ News