Mental Health Nurse Struck Off After Disciplinary Panel Uncovers Ward Sex and Insults
A mental health nurse has been permanently removed from the nursing register following a disciplinary hearing that revealed she engaged in sexual activity with a colleague while on duty and verbally abused another co-worker.
Unprofessional Conduct at Glanrhyd Hospital
Kate Sullivan, who worked at Glanrhyd Hospital in Bridgend, South Wales, was found to have committed multiple acts of professional misconduct during her employment on the Rowan ward, a secure rehabilitation unit for male patients, many of whom were from prison.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practise panel heard that Sullivan had a "casual relationship" with a colleague, referred to as Colleague A, between October 2020 and summer 2021, which she failed to disclose to her employer, Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Sexual Encounters During Night Shifts
The panel concluded that Sullivan had sex with Colleague A on three separate occasions while both were working night shifts:
- On March 4, 2021, Sullivan led a female colleague into the hospital's "hub shop" and made it clear she wanted to be alone with Colleague A. The co-worker later reported hearing sounds consistent with sexual intercourse from the adjacent room, with the desk banging against the wall and noises lasting two to five minutes.
- On January 8 and 17, 2022, Sullivan sent text messages to the same colleague boasting about sexual activity with Colleague A in the "recharge room."
Sullivan claimed she fabricated these stories to maintain her co-worker's interest, but the panel found this explanation "inherently unlikely."
Additional Professional Failings
The hearing uncovered further concerning behavior:
- Sullivan called a fellow colleague a "lazy c***" and publicly criticized another's paperwork.
- She declined to examine a patient with a groin rash and breached confidentiality by disclosing colleagues' sickness absence reasons.
- Sullivan adjusted her schedule to work more frequently with Colleague A, even showing up for unrostered shifts when he was on duty.
- She once left the ward abruptly with Colleague A, leaving the unit understaffed and unsafe.
Boundary Violations with Patients
The panel also found Sullivan "knowingly breached professional boundaries" by allowing a patient with known "sexualised behaviour and difficulties in understanding boundaries" into her office with the door closed and blinds down for approximately 20 minutes.
She further violated workplace policy by hugging the same patient and laughing when he called her "babe." Sullivan failed to report an incident where this patient grabbed and ground against another female staff member.
Dismissal and Removal from Register
Sullivan, who had seven years of service with the health board, was dismissed for gross misconduct and did not attend the NMC hearing. Panel chair Alisa Newman stated that Sullivan's actions represented "significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse" and were "fundamentally incompatible with her remaining on the register."
Newman emphasized that removal was necessary to maintain public confidence in the nursing profession and send a clear message about required behavioral standards.
