Suspended nurse fined over facial fillers

A nurse has been fined $5000 for injecting cosmetic fillers into patients while her registration was suspended.

Tanya Bechara has been spared a conviction, after leaving one patient with blue marks under her eyes during the botched November 2018 procedure in Melbourne.

Her registration had been suspended months before because Bechara was suspected of breaching a supervision order imposed following a performance review.

This didn't stop the Sydney-based Radiance Cosmetics nurse from injecting up to 15 patients during a one-day travelling clinic in Melbourne.

Bechara had brought a registered nurse with her to perform the procedures.

"That was the plan until it wasn't," magistrate Trieu Huynh said in sentencing on Monday.

"Be it ego, overconfidence or complacency," Mr Huynh said Bechara insisted on doing it herself.

When the registered nurse protested, Bechara told her "oh it's fine, it's fine".

One patient came in for under-eye fillers and botox, but Bechara said she'd run out of the latter and instead gave her eye and lip fillers.

This left the woman in pain, and with swelling, bruising and facial discolouring.

She has since undergone medical procedures to reverse the effects.

Bechara did not consult with a doctor before the procedure, explain the products used or what after care the woman should follow.

The woman later complained to Bechara and was offered a refund for the eye treatment, but did not receive it.

Her lawyer, Sean Cash, last week told the court Bechara's judgment at the time was compromised after she miscarried twins and her father suffered a heart attack.

She pleaded guilty to knowingly holding herself out to be a registered professional when that wasn't the case.

Bechara wanted to avoid a conviction because she was doing a nursing degree and would need to re-apply for registration, which was cancelled in December.

Prosecutors said Bechara's prosects on that front were questionable given her conduct.

Alongside the $5000 fine, she must pay $2650 in compensation for her victim.