A nurse has been fired after being found guilty of faking his grandfather's death to claim a refund on a plane ticket he had purchased for him.
The 29-year-old Queensland nurse forged his grandfather's death certificate after realising he could only be reimbursed for the Qantas ticket if the passenger had died.
He later self-reported his conduct to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
The case was brought before the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal by the Health Ombudsman, which heard the Queensland hospital worker had bought the Qantas ticket so his grandfather could attend his wedding in April 2024.
However, his grandfather was unable to travel after suffering a non-life-threatening cardiac event in late 2023.
To obtain a refund, the man downloaded a Life Extinct form from the internet and falsified a unique record number and a doctor's signature before receiving a $1,300 refund.
Queensland Police later arrested him and referred the matter to the Queensland Magistrates Court, where he pleaded guilty in August 2024 to one count each of forgery, uttering and fraud, dishonestly obtaining property from another.
He lost his job at the hospital, was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond and was ordered to repay Qantas.
A nurse has been fired after being found guilty of faking his grandfather's death to claim a refund on a plane ticket he had purchased for him
He lost his job at the hospital, was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond and was ordered to repay Qantas
The tribunal initially considered cancelling his nursing registration, finding he was not a 'fit and proper person to hold registration' and that his conduct amounted to 'professional misconduct'.
However, his registration was not revoked after he expressed remorse and told the tribunal he had been recovering from a serious illness at the time, which left him with permanent disabilities.
He also claimed mental health issues contributed to his actions, which was supported by a physician.
In his defence, the man said he had undertaken additional ethics training, entered an early guilty plea, fully cooperated with authorities and self-reported his conduct.
He also told the tribunal his mental health had improved significantly and that he understood the seriousness of his actions.