The facts in Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia v Butler [2026] TASCAT 136 simply beg the question ‘what was she thinking?’

Ms Butler was a registered nurse. In February 2017 ‘she applied to undertake professional honours in a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of Tasmania’. She did not pass her units, and she did not complete the course. Between February 2018 and December 2020, she was a student paramedic  but never completed her training and was never registered as a paramedic. Notwithstanding this she applied, three times, for graduate paramedic positions with Ambulance Tasmania (2020, 2021 and 2023). She also applied for two senior nurse positions for which she was not qualified (both in 2023). In all those applications she claimed, relevantly that she was a registered paramedic and that she had completed post graduate nursing qualifications.

Not surprisingly her lies were discovered.  Ms Butler ‘offered various excuses to AT [Ambulance Tasmania] about the discrepancies in her qualifications. She falsely stated that she was awaiting her paramedicine registration and had “just gotten confused” about having “written the wrong thing” ([23]). The Tasmania Department of Health commenced an investigation where Ms Butler denied making deliberately misleading statements and fabricating and submitting false academic transcripts. At [33]:

On 22 June 2023 the DoH investigation determined that the Respondent: had provided false and misleading information in 4 applications for Graduate Paramedic positions in the period December 2020 to February 2023; and had provided false and misleading information in an application for the role of Associate Nurse Unit Manager.

Ms Butler resigned from her nursing position and did not respond to an invitation to show cause why she should not be dismissed ([26]).

The matter was referred to AHPRA and further investigation occurred. She was required to attend an interview but said she couldn’t as she was in hospital. She submitted a medical certificate in support. The hospital reported that they had no record of Ms Butler attending on that day and the doctor that had allegedly signed the certificate had not worked there for some two years ([28)). Senior Member Thompson, sitting as the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) said ‘I have no hesitation in finding that the certificate was fraudulent and that Ms Butler was not, in fact, in hospital at the time’ ([29]).

Ms Butler did not participate in the final proceedings before TASCAT ([1]). She currently lives in New Zealand and it ‘is unclear whether she is working, although she is not registered with AHPRA’ ([3]). (And a search conducted by Australian Emergency Law of the registers kept by both the Paramedic Council of New Zealand and the Nursing Council of New Zealand don’t identify anyone practising under the name ‘Lauren Butler’ in either profession).

The Nursing and Midwifery Board suspended Ms Butler’s registration with effect from 21 June 2023.

The Tribunal said (at [35]-[41])

I find that Ms Butler’s conduct amounts to professional misconduct within the meaning … of the National Law …

I accept the Board’s submission that the conduct is inherently serious, dishonest, and falls well below the professional standards expected of nurses. It diminishes the profession’s good standing and brings the professional into disrepute. Ms Butler’s conduct demonstrates an absence of qualities essential for safe practice as a nurse, including honesty and the ethical exercise of judgment. Her conduct is inconsistent with the moral integrity and rectitude of character required by nurses given their positions of trust within the healthcare system.

Ms Butler’s conduct was serious and sustained, having occurred over a period of three years. She is not to be penalised for not participating in this proceeding. However, it prevents me from inferring that Ms Butler has any remorse or insight into her conduct. Nor does it allow any other mitigating factors to be inferred.

Moreover, Ms Butler’s attempts to mislead investigators with false medical certificate and her use of a fake academic transcript increase the need for both general and specific deterrence. The infamous phrase – it’s not the crime, it’s the coverup – is apposite.

Such deception is difficult and time-consuming for an employer or regulator to guard against and investigate. General deterrence is an important consideration. Ms Butler’s repeated deceptions, even during the investigation, heighten the need for specific deterrence and protection of the public against further misconduct by Ms Butler.

…

The sanctions sought by the Board are appropriate. A reprimand is a formal recognition of censure and is plainly justified. I am satisfied that nothing short of cancellation of Ms Butler’s registration is required.

The Tribunal’s orders were ([45]):

  • A reprimand;
  • Her registration is cancelled and she is prohibited from applying for registration for three years;
  • She is ‘prohibited from providing any health service until she is re-registered. For the purposes of this order, a health service includes any role, whether remunerated or not, in which Ms Butler uses her skills and knowledge as a nurse’; and
  • She is ordered to pay the Nursing and Midwifery Board’s costs.

Discussion

As I said at the start, what was she thinking?  Her claim that she believed she had completed her training and had been registered or was eligible for registration ([25]) simply beggars belief.  The advantage of a public register is that claims are easily verifiable and here it was clear that she was not a paramedic. That invites further investigation which also revealed that she did not hold the claimed academic qualifications. The outcome was inevitable.

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