Olayiwola Matthew
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 the 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 authorized, saying, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”
Two nurses reported her conduct on March 27. The following day, she received a suspension email and an invitation to a meeting, but resigned 20 minutes later, declining 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 HAC.
She told the tribunal, “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.”
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 deregistration necessary, saying her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”
Ms Okembunachi cannot apply for 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.