Nurse interdicted for boasting about her sex life in front of patients

Cambridgeshire, England:  A nurse talked about sex in front of staff and patients and broke patient confidentiality by sharing details of eating-disorder sufferers, a tribunal has heard.

Nurse Elsa van der Walt allegedly boasted about her adventures in the bedroom in front of patients and staff while on duty at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridgeshire.

Former colleague Zoe Brown told the Nursing and Midwifery Council van der Walt's behaviour had made her feel uncomfortable.

She claimed that van der Walt also made personal remarks about her after she began a relationship with an electrician working on the hospital site in 2010.

"I was a care worker at Addenbrooke's - I had formerly been a patient myself at the hospital suffering from an eating disorder," she said.

"My relationship with Elsa very frosty and fractious. Maybe this was because of a clash in character - we had as little to do with each other as possible. I was not well received by Elsa when I arrived. She would compare me to service users (patients) on the ward and say that I was 'one of them,' rather than a staff member.

"She made it very clear she didn't think I should work there because of my history as an eating-disorder sufferer."

Miss Brown said she began a relationship with one of the electricians, something which was common knowledge on the ward.

"We were very comfortable with the builders as they were there almost a year," Miss Brown continued.

"Everybody was aware that I was going out with one of them. We didn't ignore each other at work but we didn't go out of our way to have contact. Elsa used to make lots of comments if me and my partner were near each other in front of the service users.

"She made inappropriate comments about things which were untrue. For example she would say that me and my partner had had sex with each other on the ward.

"She would often ask me in front of service users whether I had had sex with him yet. Then she would say of course we had had sex.

"Often I was just embarrassed and said I didn't want to speak about it. It's something I would never feel comfortable talking about in front of patients.

"The service users (patients) were shocked and embarrassed and they would agree with me that it was not appropriate, and ask whether I was OK."

Van der Walt openly discussed her own sex life in front of patients and talked about her antics with a junior doctor.

Miss Brown continued: "There were times when conversations occurred about a junior doctor on the ward - this was something that also made service users uncomfortable.

"As people suffering from eating disorders sex and relationships may be something that the service users feel hard to discuss. It was discussed that Elsa had been swimming and that this junior doctor had taken a liking to her. Elsa then described spending a night with him."

Miss Brown also accused van der Walt of having "favourites" on the ward, something which affected her relationship with other patients negatively. Moreover, Van der Walt would bring her "favourites" gifts back from holidays, the panel heard.

The nurse also discussed issues such as patients' weight, eating habits, and a particular service user's history of stealing, with other patients.

Van der Walt admits one charge of attending work under the influence of alcohol on 18 October 2012.

She denies one charge of failing to maintain professional boundaries by discussing sex and her own sex life in front of service users.

A further charge of breaching confidentiality by discussing patients' weight, eating habits and history of stealing is also denied.

If her fitness to practise is found to be impaired she could be struck off.