Carolina Bracken secures caution in NMC
The nurse admitted crossing professional boundaries in striking an inappropriately personal relationship with a 14 - 16 year old mental health patient. That included sending personal messages, from her personal phone, late into the night. Some of the messages involved derogatory comments about the patient’s mother.
Despite her young age, the patient had a long history of mental health and other issues, and a complex family dynamic. There was a clear risk of harm to the patient from the inappropriate relationship, despite the Registrant’s other (legitimate) efforts to help her.
The Panel found all disputed charges not proved (including charges of sexual misconduct, and an intention to alienate the patient from her mother). They found impairment on the basis of public interest only.
The NMC had initially sought strike off. However, despite finding that the misconduct was serious and prolonged (over several years), the Panel accepted Carolina’s submission that a caution order was the appropriate sanction to mark the misconduct without “punishing” the Registrant. The Registrant is free to continue her 20-year career as a dedicated mental health nurse.