Fake nurse who worked with cosmetic injectables convicted

A man who falsely presented himself as a nurse while working in a West Australian cosmetic clinic has been convicted and fined $15,000 in the state’s Magistrates Court.

The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) laid the charges on the man, who was performing the duties of a registered nurse including carrying out cosmetic injectables between late August and early November last year.

He was convicted of two counts of holding himself out as a nurse in breach of section 116 of the National Law after failing to appear at the court late last week to defend the charges.

AHPRA chief executive Martin Fletcher said the regulator would continue to take swift action against people pretending to be a nurse.

“Patients put their trust in properly qualified and registered practitioners, and it is a gross violation of that trust when someone falsely claims to be registered,” Fletcher said.

“While some people think they can get away with this type of deception, this outcome shows that is not the case. The law is very clear, and in this case a fraudster was found to be breaking it and has been prosecuted.”

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s chair, Associate Professor Lynette Cusack, encouraged the public to ask questions about the person from whom they seek care and check the register of practitioners to see if that person is listed.

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