A Canberra nurse has been sanctioned for taking drugs home from hospital to treat his chronic back pain.

Daniel Oakleigh was employed as a registered nurse in the anaesthetics and peri-operative unit at the Canberra Hospital when he began taking an anaesthetic drug home without permission in March last year.

Oakleigh used a cannula to inject up to five vials of the drug Propofol from the unit up to three times a week to relax his back muscles and help him sleep.

He developed septicaemia associated with injecting the drug and was admitted to the hospital's emergency department in June last year.

He admitted to using the drug without a prescription and his registration as a nurse was suspended.

Oakleigh denied using the drug while at work or while caring for his children.

But he accepted he was guilty of professional misconduct.

He expressed remorse and has since had successful back surgery.

He has remained employed in a non-clinical role.

The ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal formally reprimanded Oakleigh and placed conditions on his employment after the lifting of his suspension as a nurse.