Australian tribunal sacks Nigerian nurse for sleeping on duty

A Nigerian-born nurse has been struck off in Australia after a tribunal found she repeatedly slept while on duty during night shifts at an aged care home in Sydney, Daily Mail reports.

The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, 25, engaged in professional misconduct while working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney.

According to the tribunal, Okembunachi was the only registered nurse on several night shifts in March 2024, overseeing about 100 residents alongside care assistants. On six occasions, she was found asleep while on duty.

In its ruling, the panel said that on three nights, residents missed doses of prescribed morphine because the nurse was asleep. On another occasion, an assistant reportedly had to switch on the light to wake her, only for her to turn it off and “return to sleep”.

The tribunal also heard that she asked an assistant-in-nursing to give medication despite the worker not being authorised. When challenged, she allegedly said: “It’s okay sister, just give it to him.”

Concerns were raised by colleagues on March 27, after which Okembunachi was suspended. She resigned shortly afterwards and declined to attend a disciplinary meeting.

While acknowledging her remorse, the tribunal ruled that her conduct had the “potential to endanger the lives of patients” and that deregistration was the only appropriate sanction, Daily Mail reports.