A registered nurse who made abusive remarks about a patient and verbally humiliated a caregiver has been censured and ordered to pay $8000 towards the cost of her disciplinary hearing.

The Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal found the nurse, who has permanent name suppression, made comments in front of a patient and other staff that it "was like a rape scene" or words to that effect when the patient was being washed.

She told a caregiver that he should know how to clean the ladies as he had a girlfriend.

This was said in the hearing of the patient, the tribunal said.

And the nurse also asked the caregiver "does your girlfriend's thing look like this" in the hearing of the patient.

While the tribunal was unable to determine what effect the comments had had on the patient, it said the patient had a right to have the care that she needed given to her in a respectful manner.

"In this case it was particularly important because of the patient's known background and religious sensitivities."

The tribunal found the caregiver had been humiliated by the remarks.

A six-month suspension would have been appropriate, the tribunal said, but as the nurse had not practised since 2009 it did not order this.

The tribunal said if the nurse was to resume practice she would have to be supervised for six months and would have to take a course or do training which focused on respect for patients and colleagues.