Amanda Taylor-Bradley befriended the woman while working with the Gainsborough Mental Health Team.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard Mrs Taylor-Bradley and the patient would meet at their homes, go shopping and took up kickboxing together.
The NMC panel ruled her actions were an abuse of her position and had caused “substantial harm” to the patient.
Mrs Taylor-Bradley, who was employed as a community psychiatric nurse (CPN) by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, began working with the patient, who had borderline personality disorder and an eating disorder, in September 2018.
The panel heard she and the patient soon began speaking most days, going shopping and getting coffee together.
They also took up kickboxing classes twice a week, and went to a netball group together once.
She also shared personal information about her colleagues and other patients with the woman.
At one point during the friendship Mrs Taylor-Bradley told the patient: “If anyone found out we were friends, I would be in trouble”.
The relationship came to light in October 2019 when the patient revealed information to staff at the White Gables Crisis House.
Minutes after being told by managers not to contact the patient again, Mrs Taylor-Bradley tried ringing and Facebook messaging them, the panel heard.
Disciplinary action was launched by the trust, but Mrs Taylor-Bradley resigned before this could take place.
She did not attend the 29 June hearing.
Panel chair Dale Simon said: “Mrs Taylor-Bradley had abused her position as a CPN over a significant period of time and had caused substantial harm to the well-being of an extremely vulnerable service user.
“The panel determined that Mrs Taylor-Bradley’s actions were extremely serious and to allow her to continue practising would undermine public confidence in the profession.”
In a statement, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said: “The safety and wellbeing of our patients is our absolute priority.
“On concerns being raised, we immediately took appropriate action in line with our trust policies and procedures, whilst also ensuring we provided support where required – including to those who raised the concerns.”
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