Australia revokes licence of Nigerian nurse caught sleeping on duty

Australia’s nursing regulator has revoked the professional licence of a Nigerian-born nurse after a tribunal found that she repeatedly slept while on duty at an aged care facility, leaving elderly residents without proper medical supervision.

According to Daily Mail, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ruled on January 20 that Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, 25, engaged in professional misconduct while working night shifts at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney.

Ms Okembunachi was employed at the facility in February 2024 but was suspended barely a month later after complaints were raised about her conduct during overnight shifts.

Tribunal records showed that she was the only registered nurse on duty between March 13 and March 27, 2024, overseeing up to 100 elderly residents with the support of three or four assistants-in-nursing (AINs). During at least six of those night shifts, she was found to have slept while meant to be supervising patient care.

The tribunal heard that her absence from active duty led to serious lapses in care, including cases where residents failed to receive prescribed medication. On three occasions, patients missed doses of morphine, a controlled pain medication.

In one incident on March 21–22, an assistant nurse switched on the light at the nurses’ station in an attempt to wake her, only for Ms Okembunachi to reportedly turn it off and return to sleep shortly afterwards.

Another incident occurred on March 15, when she instructed an assistant nurse to administer Panadol to a patient despite the assistant not being authorised to give medication. She reportedly told the assistant, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”

Two nurses formally reported her conduct on March 27, prompting management to issue a suspension notice the following day. She was invited to attend a meeting to explain her actions but resigned about 20 minutes after receiving the email and declined to appear.

Ms Okembunachi, who moved to Australia from Nigeria in 2018, completed a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021 and was studying medicine at Western Sydney University while working at the aged care facility.

During the hearing, she admitted responsibility for the incidents, telling the tribunal that the pressure of balancing night shifts with her studies affected her performance.

“These events caused me significant stress… In hindsight, I should not have applied for, or accepted the position at Hardi. Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk,” she said.

She added: “When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents.”

While the tribunal acknowledged her “remorseful and contrite” attitude, it ruled that cancellation of her registration was necessary in the interest of public safety, stating that her conduct “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”

Under the ruling, Ms Okembunachi is barred from seeking a review of the decision for at least nine months.

She has since stepped away from nursing but continues her medical studies, supported by her family and a Centrelink student allowance.

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