A nurse and lifestyle influencer has been stood down by NSW Health after she appeared to mimic a Nazi salute as she prepared for a shift. 

Aimee Connor, who is known on social media as aims.lc, shared the now-deleted clip which showed her performing a gesture resembling the gesture last week. 

The video, shared to her 1.2million followers, quickly drew criticism with viewers describing the apparent act as ‘gross and disgusting’. 

In response to the backlash, Ms Connor issued an apology video. 

‘The video was taken out of context,’ she said, insisting the gesture was intended to be a ‘soldier’s salute’ and not a Nazi reference. 

‘I want to be absolutely clear that was never my intention, and I do not in any way support or condone hate or extremism of any kind.’

She added that she has since taken time to reflect on the gesture’s implications.

‘I have taken some time to reflect and understand the deep significance a salute holds, especially to those in the armed forces,’ she said.

The video (pictured on left) quickly drew criticism from Australians - and Dr Dvir Abramovich, the Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission

The video (pictured on left) quickly drew criticism from Australians – and Dr Dvir Abramovich, the Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission

‘As someone who has not served, I realised it was not my place to use that gesture, even in a light-hearted way, and for that I am deeply sorry.’

She continued: ‘To any members of the military community or anyone else who felt disrespected, I really want to offer my sincere and heartfelt apology.’

The nurse said the matter had been referred to police and claimed the ‘Australian Police Force’ had investigated and cleared her of any wrongdoing.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District A/Chief Executive, Margaret Martin, told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday she was aware of the TikTok post. 

‘We are also aware the nurse has apologised and the post removed,’ Ms Martin said.

‘The matter is now being investigated by the Local Health District in line with the NSW Health Code of Conduct and Social Media Policy. The nurse will not be rostered for any further shifts while the investigation is underway.

‘ISLHD is committed to fostering an environment of respect and inclusivity. We are proud to provide safe, compassionate and high-quality care to all people across the diverse communities we serve.’

Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission and a leading force behind the national push to ban public displays of the Nazi salute and swastikas, has condemned the video. 

The nurse and mother apologised for the video and said it had been misinterpreted (pictured)

The nurse and mother apologised for the video and said it had been misinterpreted (pictured)

‘For Holocaust survivors, that outstretched arm is not a symbol of fitness or fun – it is the gesture that marched six million Jews, and millions of others, to their death,’ he told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday. 

‘A gesture that once accompanied cries of ‘Heil Hitler’ is now edited into a ‘day in the life’ montage and seen by millions of followers. 

‘That is not just poor judgment – it is a symptom of dangerous ignorance. This is the outcome when history is not taught, when Holocaust education is sidelined, and when genocide is flattened into a trend.’

Dr Abramovich said the intent behind the video was irrelevant. 

‘Intent does not erase impact,’ he said. 

‘Whether accidental or deliberate, performing a Nazi salute in any context is an act that reopens wounds and desecrates memory.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police, the AFP, NSW Health and Ms Connor’s management for comment.

It comes after two Sydney nurses, Ahmed Rashid Nadi, 27, and Sarah Abu Lebdeh, 26, were charged after they told Israeli influencer Max Veifer they would kill their Jewish patients rather than treat them in a viral video in February. 

The pair were working at southwest Sydney’s Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital when they made the alleged threats in a conversation via online platform Chatruletka. 

Abu Lebdeh was later charged with three Commonwealth offences; threatening violence to group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill and using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend.

Rashid Nadi was charged with one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend, and possessing a prohibited drug.

The incident, along with pro-Palestinian protests where insults are hurled at Jews, and a spate of anti-Semitic vandalism across the country, has raised disturbing questions about racial hatred in Australia.

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk