A NURSE who stole more than £2,000 from elderly patients has been given the go-ahead to return to the profession.
Mirasol Villena took debit cards belonging to vulnerable patients at Singleton Hospital in Swansea and withdrew cash for herself – totalling £2,350.
The patients were all said to be receiving treatment at her workplace at the time when she stole the money.
Villena was later convicted of two counts of theft and two counts of dishonestly making a false representation to make a gain for self or another at Swansea Crown Court in September 2011.
The judge sentenced Villena to 32 weeks in jail for each count on a suspended sentence for 24 months while she carried out 150 hours of community service and attended employment training sessions.
Villena was subsequently struck from the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) register in December 2012.
However on Monday, they decided that she has now been deemed suitable to return back to the profession and will allow her to be reinstated on the register.
The NMC stated: “Mrs Villena stole credit and debit cards from patients and subsequently withdrew cash in a number of separate transactions using those cards.
“Her victims were particularly vulnerable, elderly patients receiving treatment at the hospital where she worked. The amounts involved totalled £2,350.”
Whilst fighting to get back on the register, Villena said: “Not one day has gone by in the last seven years where I have not reflected on the dishonesty, and that seven years on, I am a different person.
“Looking back I can not believe I did those things”
The NMC decided that Villena had displayed “a good level of insight” into her actions following her initial removal from the register.
On making their decision, they said: “The panel considered you to have demonstrated a good level of insight into your dishonest conduct, in that you were able to identify why your actions were wrong, and how you should not have attempted to steal money from patients you were caring for.
“The panel noted that you attempted to reach out to the patients that you had stolen money from by expressing an apology.
“The panel considered you to have demonstrated a passion for nursing and for helping vulnerable people in general.
“It noted that you have continued to work in the healthcare sector since being struck off from the NMC register, and that multiple positive references have been provided attesting to your performance and your good character.
“Whilst you do not want to make excuses for your behaviour, you said that at the time of the incidents, your husband was recently made redundant, and you were also supporting your family back home in the Philippines by sending them money.
“You said that you recognise the traumatic and devastating experience you put patients through and understand how angry they would be.
“You told the panel that you made an apology to the patients you stole money from during your probationary period.
“You are now back to your ‘old self’ and you will seek to ‘live within your means’. Whilst you still struggle financially, you are more ‘wise’ in terms of your finances and you have managed to find a balance.
“Today, the panel was of the view that you had not sought to minimise your behaviour. It was convinced that you had learnt from your previous conduct to the point that there was no longer a real risk of repetition.
“In taking account of all the above, the panel determined that there was not much more you could have done in demonstrating that you are now a ‘fit and proper person’, so as to be permitted to return to the NMC register.”
