A former nurse who assaulted an elderly disabled patient, shaking her head, poking her in the ribs and pulling her nose, has been publicly reprimanded by a tribunal. Trica Anne Carter, an enrolled nurse from 2001 until she surrendered her registration in 2017, worked at a Blue Care aged care facility from December, 2013, until June, 2016. On May 1, 2016, Carter was caring for a patient, 72, who was confined to a wheelchair after a stroke. Carter shook the patient’s head from side to side or front to back very quickly, poked her ribs and pulled her nose, Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard. As a result, her employment was terminated and since then she has not worked as an enrolled nurse. Carter later was charged and pleaded guilty to serious assault of a person over 60. She was fined $750, with no conviction recorded. The tribunal found Carter’s behaviour towards the patient constituted professional misconduct, but accepted she had since demonstrated insight and remorse. She has not practised nursing since May, 2016, and is now studying in a different field. The tribunal said it was unlikely she would return to the health profession. The Health Ombudsman, who brought disciplinary proceedings against Carter, agreed that she had been effectively excluded from her profession for more than two years as a result of her conduct. It was decided there should be no further period of preclusion from reapplying for registration and the tribunal ordered Carter be reprimanded for professional misconduct.
