The five-member tribunal yesterday heard of a case involving a "vulnerable" teenager who was being treated by the nurse during his time at Hauora Waikato.
Matthew McClelland QC, counsel for the committee, said other clinicians involved in the patient's treatment began noticing the nurse was spending an unusual amount of time with the patient outside of work.
He was also buying the boy gifts, including a laptop, stereo, chocolates, cigarettes, and hair colouring product.
The patient told his caregiver that he had also been round to the nurse's house where he had drunk alcohol, that the pair texted each other often and that the nurse would drive him around including picking him up from courses and dropping him home, Mr McClelland said.
The boy had told his caregiver that his previous caregiver wouldn't smell alcohol on his breath as the nurse would give him mints or breath spray as well as money for energy drinks.
Two witnesses - who also have name suppression - involved in the patient's care took the stand yesterday.
One said her concerns began when she first met the pair together and found it "odd".
"It felt like an established relationship."
However, both witnesses were questioned by the nurse's lawyers, Peter Le Cren and Catherine Dean, about their lack of record-keeping from meetings held in regards to the alleged behaviour.
Other charges relate to an alleged sex act between the nurse and an adult client between October 2005 and September 2006 when he worked at the DHB.
Another charge, also from his time at the Waikato DHB, involves failing to provide safe and competent care to a patient with a severe alcohol dependency between July 10 and 11, 2008.
The final set of charges involve another teenage patient who had just had an overdose, and the nurse's failure to provide safe and competent care.
The hearing is set to continue for another week with the defence likely to open its case tomorrow.
