Nurse who bragged about her sex life to patients is let off with caution In doing so you failed to maintain professional boundaries. The Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practice panel was told Van Der Walt had completely reassessed her approach to work. It's not correct that I am prone to exaggerating or distorting events. Definitely not," a tearful Van Der Walt said. I have to say, and I will say very clearly, from that day in October when these allegations arose up to now I have learned a very, very important lesson. I have been very close to losing my livelihood and I don't want to put anything in jeopardy. Every step possible I have taken to rectify my professional conduct and have made a conscious decision to look very closely at my professional self. In fact it's not just my livelihood but my sanity that I'm trying to preserve. I made a decision that as much as I'm a caring nurse I will not let my guard down again. I won't be letting any patients or even some of my colleagues know anything about my personal life from now on. Earlier, peer support worker Zoe Brown had told the panel: "In one instance service users told me that while they were eating dinner Elsa mentioned that she had been swimming at the Frank Lee Centre... and that she had met a junior doctor there who had liked the look of her in a swim suit. I later heard Elsa had described to them how she had since spent the night with this person several times. She said the nurse was "there like a shot" if younger men came onto the ward and would comment on the way they looked at her. Ms Brown said patients reacted with "absolute shock and horror" when Van Der Walt detailed her escapades. In an interview on 29 November 2012, Service User A said: "We would all hear about Elsa's sex life when she would sit with us at meal times. This would include all of the boys she had slept with. She loves the sound of her own voice. And Service User B told the interviewer: "Elsa comes to the table and talks about how much sex she has. She talks about the boyfriends she has on holiday. But, at the time, Van Der Walt told the tribunal the allegations were "untrue and preposterous" and "totally insulting." She said: "I think I would definitely have taken more careful steps to have not been perceived as disclosing any kind of confidentiality. Certainly there was girly banter among the staff about relationships. Throughout the years my experience of being at the hospital was that at times staff used to have light banter about the manly personnel. But there was nothing as serious as what has been perceived and suggested at this hearing. Van Der Walt is currently employed by 'Home and Help' in Leicester, working with elderly dementia patients. Upon handing down the caution order Mr Redmond said: "As regards Charge 2, the panel has found that, in circumstances different to those found on Ward S3. '"Mrs Van Der Walt's behaviour and attitude is professional, appropriate and conforms to acceptable standards of conduct expected of a nurse. As regards Charge 1, Mrs Van Der Walt attended work under the influence of alcohol, whilst she was responsible for the care of 14 vulnerable patients. The panel considered that to take no action would be inappropriate given the seriousness of the misconduct found. The panel is not of the view that the charges proved harmful and deep seated behavioural and attitudinal failures, but rather, an isolated period of time in which Mrs Van Der Walt demonstrated poor judgment in her conduct towards patients and colleagues. Having considered the persuasive and positive references, as well as the steps taken by Mrs Van Der Walt to remedy her misconduct, the panel is satisfied that the risk of such an attitudinal deficiency arising in the future, albeit still present, is minimal. In all the circumstances of this case, the panel has determined that a caution order is appropriate and proportionate. Van Der Walt admitted one charge of attending work under the influence of alcohol on 18 October 2012. She denied one charge of failing to maintain professional boundaries by discussing sex and her own sex life in front of service users but the panel found the allegation to be true. Van Der Walt was cleared of breaching confidentiality by discussing patients' weight, eating habits and history of stealing. Her fitness to practice was found impaired by reason of misconduct and she was given a one year caution order.