I swore at patients, nurse admits

A South Auckland mental health nurse who faces misconduct charges has admitted he swore at two patients but denies assaulting one of them.

Hemi Timu was giving evidence before a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal hearing in Auckland yesterday.

He is charged with verbally abusing two patients in his care - both of whose names are suppressed - at the Mason Clinic for psychiatric patients, one on May 5, 2003, and one on June 19, 2004.

He is also charged with physically abusing the patient in the 2004 incident by grabbing his shirt and pushing him against a wall, or both.

The tribunal reserved its decision. The Professional Conduct Committee, which is bringing the charges, wants Timu to be struck off the nurses register if the charges are found.

Timu has not formally admitted the verbal abuse charges. However, he did admit using inappropriate language, though he said it was not unusual.

"Commonly, patients swore at staff, and I was far from the only staff member who swore at patients," he said.

Timu said that during the 2003 incident he had entered the patient's seclusion room after he had repeatedly banged against the door. He said he had a heated discussion with the patient, and had been trying to get the patient to vent his anger to get it out of his system.

In the 2004 incident, Timu agreed he had gone into the room of a patient who had stormed into his room after refusing to head to a clinic to take an antibiotic as Timu had asked.

He admitted he swore at the patient. However, Timu said he did not at any stage grab him.

The patient and one nurse have said they saw an assault. Some other nurses said they saw and heard the verbal altercation.

- NZPA