A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has had her nursing licence cancelled in Australia after a tribunal found she repeatedly fell asleep during night shifts at an aged care facility, putting elderly patients at risk.
As reported by the Daily Mail on Friday, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled on 20th January that Ms Okembunachi’s actions in March 2024 constituted professional misconduct, resulting in the cancellation of her nursing registration.
Ms Okembunachi, 25, began working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney, in February 2024. Barely a month later, she was suspended and subsequently resigned.
During the tribunal proceedings, it was revealed that between 13th and 27th March, she was the sole registered nurse on night shifts supervising three or four assistants-in-nursing (AINs) and approximately 100 residents.
On six nights, she failed to perform her duties due to sleeping, which resulted in three patients missing their prescribed doses of morphine. Evidence showed that during her shift on 21st-22nd March, an AIN turned on the nurses’ station light to wake her, but she reportedly turned it off a minute later and went back to sleep.
On 15th March, she instructed an AIN to administer Panadol to a patient, despite the assistant not being authorised, saying, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”
Two nurses reported her conduct on 27th March. The following day, she received an email regarding her suspension and an invitation to a meeting, but she resigned 20 minutes later, opting not to attend.
Born in Nigeria, Ms Okembunachi moved to Australia in 2018. She completed a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021 and was studying medicine at Western Sydney University while working at Hardi Aged Care.
She told the tribunal, “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 added, “When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents.”
The tribunal noted her “remorseful and contrite” attitude but ruled that deregistration was necessary, stating that her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”
Ms Okembunachi cannot apply for a review for at least nine months. She has not returned to nursing but continues her medical studies, supported by her father and a Centrelink Student Allowance.
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