Nurse assistant barred

A woman convicted of fraud has been suspended from working as a nurse assistant in Auckland by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal. Pauline Faye Vanveen, 40, was convicted in Tasmania in 2006 on about 20 charges of fraud, which were not work-related, and given a suspended sentence of 10 months' jail. She returned to New Zealand in 2006. The tribunal suspended Ms Vanveen from practising as a nurse assistant for nine months, saying her conduct was a "serious and significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse assistant".

- NZPA