Beatrix Versteegh v the Nurses Board of South Australia No. SCGRG 91/2952 Judgment No. 3740 Number of Pages 18 Nurses Professional Conduct

Beatrix Versteegh, a former clinical nurse, appealed a decision of the Nurses Board of South Australia that found her guilty of unprofessional conduct in various respects. The Board ordered that she be reprimanded and that certain conditions be imposed on her right to provide nursing care. The appeal raised several issues, including whether the Board had a quorum present during the hearings, whether the principles of natural justice were observed, and whether the standard of proof applied was appropriate. The Supreme Court found that the Board had a quorum present, that natural justice was observed, and that the standard of proof applied was appropriate. The Court also found that the Board's findings on two counts were not justified by the evidence, but that all other findings were justified. The appeal was dismissed.

The Court held that the Board was well suited to decide what amounted to unprofessional conduct in relation to nursing, and that the Board's findings were fully justified by the evidence. The Court also held that the Board was correct in concluding that the proven conduct did amount to unprofessional conduct in relation to nursing. The Court found that the Board had regard to the various standards of nursing practice that had been laid down by its own guidelines, the policy of the Nursing Home, regulations, the International Council of Nursing Code of Ethics, and what it described as the ANRAC Competencies. The members of the Board were well suited to make the judgment that this proven conduct did amount to unprofessional conduct in relation to nursing and there is no reason to suppose that they applied an incorrect test or standard.