A nurse in New South Wales has been permanently banned from the profession after engaging in an intimate relationship with a vulnerable mental health patient, which included taking him to an escape room in Canberra and exchanging thousands of messages.
Dilnoor Kang, who worked at Wagga Wagga's mental health unit, was found guilty of professional misconduct by the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Friday. The tribunal heard that Kang was part of the patient's care team when he was admitted for suicidal and homicidal ideation in early 2021 and psychosis in 2022.
In mid-2021, Kang booked a trip for the pair to The Riddle Room escape rooms in Canberra. Throughout 2022, they were seen kissing and hugging at her house or in her car. Over one year, she exchanged up to 5,000 messages and calls with the patient, known only as Patient A.
While the patient was being treated for acute psychosis in 2022, Kang visited him off-shift and became emotional. The patient later told another nurse he felt Kang was 'playing with his head'. In January 2024, police were called after the patient slapped Kang during an argument; both admitted they were in a relationship.
Kang's employment was terminated by Murrumbidgee Local Health District in September 2023, and she voluntarily surrendered her nursing registration in mid-2024. The tribunal found her evidence, including claims she believed she was communicating with another man, to be 'implausible'. It ruled the misconduct was 'objectively serious', noting the considerable risk of harm to a mental health patient.
