A nurse in Melbourne has had her registration cancelled after being found to have repeatedly stolen morphine intended for cancer patients, replacing the drug with water so the thefts would go unnoticed. The case highlights serious failings in medication oversight at the healthcare facility involved and raises fresh concerns about vulnerable, terminally ill patients being left without proper pain relief. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), which handled the matter, described the nurse's conduct as "appalling", underscoring the severity of the breach of trust involved in caring for seriously ill people.

The nurse, named as Shanelle Scriven, was found to have carried out the thefts over an extended period, diverting morphine meant for cancer patients for her own use while substituting water in its place. VCAT's ruling to cancel her registration means she is now barred from practising as a nurse, a decision reflecting the tribunal's view of the gravity and duration of the misconduct. The case is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of drug-handling protocols within hospitals and palliative care settings to prevent similar abuses in future.