A nursing tribunal in Australia has cancelled the licence of a Nigerian-born nurse Chimzuruoke Okembunachi.
Chimzuruoke Okembunachi was accused of repeatedly sleeping while on duty during night shifts at an aged care home, placing elderly residents at risk.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled on January 20 that Okembunachi’s conduct in March 2024 amounted to serious professional misconduct, leading to the cancellation of her nursing registration.
Okembunachi, who was 25 at the time, started working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney, in February 2024.
Barely a month later, concerns were raised about her conduct, prompting her suspension and subsequent resignation.
Tribunal findings showed that between March 13 and March 27, she worked night shifts as the only registered nurse on duty, overseeing up to four assistants-in-nursing and nearly 100 residents.
On at least six nights, Okembunachi was found asleep instead of carrying out her responsibilities.
During this period, three residents missed scheduled doses of morphine.
On one occasion, an assistant turned on the light at the nurses’ station to wake her, but she reportedly switched it off and returned to sleep moments later.
The tribunal also heard that on March 15, she instructed an assistant who was not authorised to give medication to administer Panadol to a patient.
Two nurses later reported her behaviour on March 27.
The following day, she received an email informing her of her suspension and inviting her to a meeting.
The nurse resigned about 20 minutes later and declined to attend the meeting.
Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, who moved to Australia from Nigeria in 2018, earned her nursing degree in 2021.
At the time of the incident, she was also studying medicine at Western Sydney University while working at the aged care facility.
In her statement to the tribunal, she admitted that taking the job was a mistake and said the night shifts caused her significant stress.
She acknowledged that sleeping on duty meant she failed in her role to supervise staff and protect residents.
“These events caused me significant stress… In hindsight, I should not applied for, or accepted the position at Hardi. Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk.”
“When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents,” she said.
While the tribunal noted her remorse, it said cancelling her licence was necessary because her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”
Okembunachi is barred from seeking a review of the decision for at least nine months.
She is no longer working as a nurse but continues her medical studies with financial support from her father and a student allowance.
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