A male nurse provided a suicidal teenager with a drug they had previously used in an attempted overdose before begging them ‘not to tell’, fearing he may ‘lose his job’.
Kevin Lloyd Picones was this week banned from practising by a tribunal for a number of serious offences at a regional New South Wales hospital, dating back to June 2015.
Picones, a qualified mental health nurse, was found to have raided supply cupboards for Phenergan – a powerful antihistamine – which he then passed on to patients some of who were drug addicts.
The 27-year-old also allowed patients access to Snapchat on his mobile phone and made a series of sexual comments after witnessing two patients having intercourse.
A hearing earlier this month was told that Picones had supplied Phenergan to three patients under his care at the regional mental health facility.
Among them was a 16-year-old who had attempted suicide with the same drug prior to being admitted to the facility.
The tribunal heard Picones would tape tablets to the bottom of tables so as not to be caught by his colleagues.
Kevin Lloyd Picones was this week banned from practising by a tribunal for a number of serious offences at a regional New South Wales hospital, dating back to June 2015
Picones moved to Nepean Hospital (pictured) in April 2016, but did not mention restrictions that had placed on him when previously working at a mental health facility in regional NSW
After giving drugs to a suicidal 15-year-old girl, he told her: ‘Don’t tell anyone about this, I could lose my job’.
Other allegations later emerged against the nurse from patients, including that he’d ‘supplied cigarettes’ and told a teenager of the ‘best time’ to have sex on the ward.
In September 2015 one of the patients to who Picones had supplied Phenergan told a different staff member of the incidents.
A Local District Health investigation was then conducted into the registered nurse which found the risk posed by Picones would be ‘managed appropriately’ by putting workplace restrictions in place upon his return to the mental health unit.
Just months after coming under investigation Picones left his job, moving to Nepean Hospital in Sydney’s far west.
But upon starting at the suburban hospital in April 2016 he did not inform them that he was under investigation or had been practising restricted, the tribunal heard.
They eventually found out in June 2016 at which time the hospital suspended him for four months before he returned to work on restricted duties.
It wasn’t until January 2017 that the Nursing and Midwifery Council was made aware that Picones had moved to Nepean Hospital.
Later that year a complaint was made by the Health Care Complaints Commission to the NCAT.
In handing down their decision, the tribunal described Picones as an ‘unimpressive witness’ who did not tell the ‘truth’.
Picones was found to have provided three patients with Phenergan (above), including one who had previously attempted suicide using the drug
The NSW Civil and Administration Tribunal described Picones as an ‘unimpressive witness’ and slammed him for putting ‘the health of patients in danger’
‘On multiple occasions Mr Picones swore to a version of events which, when contradicted by objective evidence, he then altered,’ the tribunal’s findings stated.
‘While purporting to be contrite and remorseful, Mr Picones repeatedly tailored his account of events to minimise their seriousness and his own responsibility.’
The disgraced nurse was also slammed by the tribunal for putting patients at risk.
‘Such conduct was both improper and unethical… an abuse of professional position and placed the physical and psychological health of the patients in danger,’ the judgement said.
His registration was cancelled and he was banned from reapplying for 12 months.
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