A nurse and a psychiatrist have been disciplined after convincing a vulnerable patient to sell his house to one of them.
The man was admitted to hospital and underwent a five-day medical detoxification programme.
During a post-stay medical assessment, the nurse and psychiatrist discussed the man needing to sell his house due to a relationship break-up.
The man and his ex-wife later sold their house to the psychiatrist, with the nurse staying in frequent contact with the man to organise the sale of the property.
Afterwards, the man said he felt manipulated and pressured into selling his house and that the staff took advantage of when he was in a vulnerable situation.
A report released Monday from Mental Health Commissioner Kevin Allan has found the psychiatrist and a nurse failed to maintain professional boundaries with their patient.
"This case has reinforced the importance of professional boundaries in a clinician-patient relationship and demonstrated how engaging in financial transactions with a patient can compromise the therapeutic relationship," Allan says.
He says the psychiatrist and nurse should both apologise to the man and complete relevant training.
He also advised that the Medical Council consider whether a review of the psychiatrist's competence was appropriate and that the Nursing Council do the same in regards to the nurse.
