Tasmanian nurse barred from practice for credential fraud

Lauren Elizabeth Butler, an emergency nurse in Tasmania, has had her nursing registration cancelled and is barred from reapplying for at least three years following a tribunal ruling regarding fraudulent credentials.

Between 2020 and 2023, Butler submitted at least five fraudulent applications for roles with Ambulance Tasmania and Launceston General Hospital. According to the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT), she used forged Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) payment receipts, fake registration numbers, and altered university transcripts for critical care and paramedicine.

While Butler graduated with a bachelor of nursing from the University of Tasmania in 2016, she never completed a paramedicine degree or held registration as a qualified paramedic. She allegedly used fabricated documents to claim postgraduate qualifications and distinction averages to secure various medical roles.