Australia: Nigerian nurse loses licence for sleeping on duty

Australian flag

A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has had her nursing licence cancelled in Australia after a tribunal found she repeatedly slept during night shifts at an aged care facility, putting elderly patients at risk.

As reported by Daily Mail on Friday, the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal on January 20th ruled that Ms Okembunachi’s actions in March 2024 amounted to professional misconduct, leading to 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 emerged that between March 13 and 27, she was the sole registered nurse on night shifts supervising three or four assistants-in-nursing (AINs) and about 100 residents.

On six nights, she failed to perform her duties because she slept. On three occasions, patients missed prescribed doses of morphine.

Evidence showed that during her shift on March 21–22, 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 March 15, she told an AIN to administer Panadol to a patient, despite the assistant not being authorised, saying, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.” Punch