Nurse sexually harassed aged care residents
BLAIR RICHARDS
A TASMANIAN nurse has had conditions imposed upon his medical registration after he sexually harassed female nurses and residents at a nursing home, including commenting about one elderly woman being a pole dancer.
Following an investigation, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia found Satyendranath Keenoo engaged in the inappropriate communication and behaviour in November 2018.
A decision published by Tasmanian Health Practitioners Tribunal, after Mr Keenoo attempted to appeal the restrictions, outlined the behaviour investigated by the board.
The decision said he had been employed by Nurseline and was working for Uniting Agewell Nursing Home at the time of the behaviour.
The Tribunal said it was alleged that on November 10, 2018, during handover, Mr Keenoo commented that a female colleague “likes pricks”.
During the same shift an enrolled nurse had forgotten her telephone.
Mr Keenoo allegedly walked towards the nurse with his hands held out at chest height and said: “I need to pat you down looking for your phone.”
Later in the shift, Mr Keenoo allegedly asked the same nurse to apply medicated cream to a female resident’s buttocks, and then stayed in the resident’s room.
The resident’s underwear got caught on her hips when the nurse was helping her remove them, and the resident commented that she would never make a stripper.
Mr Keenoo allegedly replied: “What about a pole dancer?” His comment made the nurse feel uncomfortable on the resident’s behalf.
On November 11, 2018, Mr Keenoo was seen leaving the room of a female resident.
The resident was reportedly visibly upset and was heard to shout: “Get out of my room.”
Due to the resident’s cognitive impairment she was unable to say what had happened.
Mr Keenoo later resigned from Uniting Agewell.
Restrictions imposed by the board were that Mr Keenoo undertake an education program and that he not practice as a nurse in charge or be the sole registered nurse on a shift.