Psychiatrist who sexually harassed nurse suspended for 15 weeks, partly due to workforce shortages
A married psychiatrist who sexually harassed a nurse colleague has been suspended for 15 weeks after escaping a longer ban due to workforce shortages.
The WA-based psychiatrist bombarded the nurse with inappropriate remarks and unwanted romantic messages between late 2023 and February 2024.
He began by asking her about the colour of her irises, telling her he was writing her a poem.
A few days later he wrote that he was finding it hard to concentrate on work because she “really looked beautiful today“.
The nurse replied that she was not sure what he wanted but that she didn’t want any trouble at work.
After some back and forth, the psychiatrist wrote that he was after “the whole nine yards” but that he needed to talk to her in person because it was “hard to explain by text”.
The nurse replied: “Okay, well I’m not 100% clear on what you are proposing, but if it’s anything more than a professional relationship, I can’t do that”.
The psychiatrist agreed to respect her decision.
But the WA State Administrative Tribunal was told that a few days later he sent another message with a poem, stating that he was “hopelessly out of control”.
The nurse again asked him to respect her decision to keep their interactions purely professional.
He apologised for letting his “imagination run riot thinking like an adolescent rather than respecting your wishes the first time”.
“Somewhere there was a vain and misguided hope that persistence would be useful,” he wrote.
The nurse, who stressed she already had a partner, then blocked him on WhatsApp.
But around a week later, he sent her another message, this time by SMS, telling the nurse he had “a temple built in my heart for you” and implying his marriage was ending.
He followed it up with another message complaining that it was “not cool man” that she had blocked him on WhatsApp.
A few weeks later, he wrote that he had attempted to move on and stop himself from texting her but was “more madly in love” and wanted a chance to chat to her in person.
“I worry that not having a chat and not clearing things up would make this desperation of mine worse and push me one day to walk up to you in the office, get down on one knee with a ring and ask you if you would do me the honour of being my wife, or do something else even more crazy,” he wrote.
The nurse blocked him and then made a complaint to their workplace about his conduct.
After meeting with the acting clinical director, the psychiatrist apologised to the nurse and agreed not to contact her again.
However, less than two weeks later, he tried to hand her a written note at work and sent her a Facebook friend request.
She declined the request, but he contacted her via Facebook Messenger, telling her that he couldn’t help loving her “even if it means losing my AHPRA license or being kicked out of Australia”.
He was then ordered to stay away from the workplace while the hospital investigated his conduct.
However, he was allowed to return after completing training in maintaining boundaries; however, he was transferred to a different team and supervised for one year.
He told the tribunal he was remorseful and had developed insight into his conduct, which occurred at a time when was experiencing “personal difficulties and stress”.
He also stressed he lived and worked in an area of need and was currently the only psychiatrist in his location and directly supervised two junior trainees.
The medical board told the tribunal it would have sought a longer period of suspension but for these mitigating factors.
When his suspension ends, the psychiatrist will be subject to conditions including education on sexual harassment in the workplace, mentoring and a reflective practice report.
Read more: High-profile doctor who called a nurse a ‘f***ing witch’ loses $2 million discrimination case
More information: WA State Administrative Tribunal; 21 May 2026
