A NURSE has been struck off after stealing perfume from a care home resident.

Elsa McCormick took the bottle of Marc Jacobs perfume from the resident’s room while she worked at Highfield Hall Care Home, Grane Park, in Haslingden, on July 7, 2016.

A panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) described McCormick’s behaviour as ‘dishonest’.

The NMC said she had been aware the perfume did not belong to her, knew she did not have permission to take the perfume and took possession of it for her own personal use and benefit.

Following the incident, McCormick was suspended from the home but resigned the next day.

She was suspended for 12 months last year but the NMC have now decided to increase this to a striking-off order, as she had demonstrated ‘limited insight’ into her misconduct and can still offer ‘no explanation’ as to why she took the perfume.

They described her misconduct as a ‘serious departure’ from the standards expected of a registered nurse and involved an abuse of her position and trust.

The NMC said in a report that McCormick had made efforts to engage with them, by way of written submissions, as well as appearing to accept that her actions were wrong.

She was also said to have recognised that her actions would have caused distress to the residents and other members of staff.

The NMC said in the report: “However, the panel considered that Ms McCormick has continued to demonstrate limited insight into her misconduct.

“She can still offer no explanation as to why she took the perfume.”

The report said McCormick has also stated that she has decided not to continue with her nursing career, has not sought to practice again, and wishes to cease her registration with the NMC.

While an NMC report last year said that police took no action against McCormick given that she was ‘apologetic’.

The NMC added: “Ms McCormick’s misconduct was a serious departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse and involved an abuse of her position and trust.

“The previous panel afforded Ms McCormick an opportunity to remediate her practice and develop her insight, in order that she may persuade a future panel that she was fit to return to unrestricted nursing practice.

“However, she has not taken this opportunity.

“This panel therefore concluded that the only sanction which would satisfy the public interest in this case was a striking-off order.”