Enrolled nurse listed a non-existent charge nurse and misused a former charge nurse's registration number to land an Auckland district nursing job
An enrolled nurse has been suspended for 12 months after New Zealand's Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal found she provided three false or invalid references to secure a job with a district nursing service.
The tribunal found the Auckland-based nurse guilty of professional misconduct over references she submitted when applying to the District Nursing Service at Te Whatu Ora – Te Toka Tumai in early 2023.
"This is not a case of inadvertent error, oversight, or mere carelessness," the tribunal said in its decision dated 3 December 2025, but only released this month.
"The provision of multiple false references demonstrates a pattern of deliberate dishonesty in a matter fundamental to the employment process."
Three references, none verified
She listed three referees, all described as senior nurses at Middlemore Hospital. They completed reference checks through an online portal, and the information they provided influenced the hiring manager's decision to offer her the role. She started on 13 February 2023.
About four weeks later, senior nurses raised concerns about her "progress, competence and reliability," prompting her manager to contact the referees.
One turned out to be a friend from her enrolled nurse practicum who had never been a charge nurse and had worked at Middlemore only as a student, according to the tribunal's document.
Another reference used the Nursing Council registration number of a real former charge nurse, who told the tribunal she had never worked with the nurse and that the contact details were not hers. The third referee did not exist, according to a nurse who had worked in the relevant department for 30 years.
The nurse resigned in April 2023, but her employer completed its investigation and terminated her employment on 30 May 2023.
Misconduct finding
The nurse filed no evidence before the hearing despite being represented. Her advocate told the tribunal she had expressed the view that the proceedings were "a foregone conclusion." She arrived after the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) had closed its case and declined to give evidence.
The tribunal found her conduct amounted to malpractice and brought discredit to the nursing profession under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.
"Reasonable members of the public would be deeply concerned to learn that a nurse had provided three false references to obtain employment," it said.
It also pointed to a public safety risk, saying she had obtained employment through false references, "potentially placing herself in a position where she may not have had the skills, experience, or competence necessary to provide safe care to patients."
"The Tribunal must send a clear message that dishonesty in relation to references and employment applications is utterly incompatible with professional practice as a nurse," the decision read.
Suspension instead of cancellation
The PCC sought cancellation of her registration, citing her continued insistence that two of the references were legitimate. The tribunal agreed this represented "a doubling down on her dishonesty and demonstrates a significant lack of integrity and insight."
However, it distinguished earlier cases in which cancellation was ordered, noting that those involved dishonesty directly to the tribunal or more extensive deception over a longer period.
"[Her] dishonesty, while serious, occurred in a more limited context," the tribunal said.
"The Tribunal also notes that [she] is still relatively young and that, despite her lack of engagement with these proceedings, the Tribunal considers that a substantial period of suspension can provide an opportunity for meaningful reflection and rehabilitation."
Alongside the suspension, the nurse was censured. On her return to practice, she must undergo monthly ethics supervision for 12 months. For three years, any employer must be approved by the Nursing Council, and she must disclose the full decision to future employers before starting work.
She was also ordered to pay 50% of the PCC's and the tribunal's costs, totalling $22,991.32 excluding GST.
