A nurse who stole personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic and national shortage has been barred from the workforce for a year.
In March 2020, Selvarani Burwood was a clinical nurse facilitator working part-time for a postsecondary institution when she coerced students under her watchful eye into assisting her in stealing personal protective equipment (PPE) from a hospital.
She informed the students that she was worried about her health, that she would be traveling to England in two weeks, that she would be visiting high-risk areas for COVID-19, and that she required the students to grab masks from the wards for her.
While she was taking PPE out of an equipment trolley and placing it in her handbag, the West Australian nurse requested them to keep out of the way of other staff members.
Additionally, she took PPE out of a storage closet and put it in the uniform pockets of her students.
Burwood was charged with one count of theft and her acts were reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
At a WA Magistrates Court hearing, Burwood was found guilty of stealing ten alcohol wipes, fifteen face masks, and a few disposable gloves.
The State Administrative Tribunal, which was tasked with investigating Burwood’s professional misconduct, canceled her registration and barred her from reapplying for registration for a year after the board reported her to them.
