A NURSE caught stealing blood pressure drugs from a hospital has avoided being struck off from the profession.

Linda Loughlin, 52, had accepted her fitness to practice was impaired at a Nursing and Midwifery Council disciplinary hearing.

But the panel said that while it was a serious offence it was an isolated incident which happened while Loughlin was under duress.

Loughlin, who lives in Burnley, took Atenonol from the Royal Blackburn Hospital where she worked in the day surgery in May 2006.

After confessing the theft to her manager, she was questioned by police and officially cautioned on June 15, 2006.

Joanna Dirmkis, for the NMC, said Loughlin had worked at the hospital since 1998, starting as a staff nurse in the Accident and Emergency department.

In 2002, she moved to the day surgery at the hospital where she also worked part-time in the endoscopy clinic.

Miss Dirmkis said: “On May 8, she took a quantity of drugs. This was discussed later with other staff members and on June 15, she admitted the theft at her place of work.”

The panel heard that Loughlin was fired in August 2006.

Loughlin admitted one charge of being the subject of a police caution for theft of medication on May 8 2006 belonging to the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Panel chair Andrew Popplewell said: “Acting dishonestly is against the code of conduct for the nursing profession, and amounts to untrustworthiness.

“That the registrant did tell her line manager about the theft does not detract from the fact that she behaved dishonestly.”

But Loughlin escaped with a caution after an NMC panel decided 'personal traumas' had driven her to commit the crime.

Mr Popplewell added: “This was a serious offence but we do bear in mind that there was no personal gain or planning.

“There is no suggestion that any harm has or would come to any patient as a result of what the registrant did.

“She has insight into what she has done, shown by the steps she has taken to get treatment.

“This was an isolated incident and we accept she was acting under a form of duress.

“She had suffered a series of personal traumas and tragedies that affected her judgement and prevented her from thinking straight.

“She was also exhausted at the time she took the drugs.”

The caution order will remain on the nurse's record for two years.