‘Being paid to work’: Sydney aged care nurse struck off over naps

A Western Sydney nurse who had been allegedly caught sneaking in naps during night shifts has had her registration cancelled, with a tribunal finding her to have “endangered the lives of patients under her care”.

Chimzuroke Okembunachi, 25, appeared before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for unsatisfactory professional conduct and professional misconduct while working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford.

Ms Okembunachi was caught having naps in the nurses’ station while working at the aged care facility during six different shifts in March 2024.

At each night shift, Ms Okembunachi was the only registered nurse and in charge of three to four Assistants-In-Nursing (AIN).

On one occasion, Ms Okembunachi had lain across three chairs with the lights off and slept for four hours and 24 minutes.

The tribunal heard that, due to her naps, one patient failed to get their charted regular medication multiple times.

It was also revealed that during one of her shifts, Ms Okembunachi had to be woken up by an AIN who informed her that an elderly male resident was asking for medicine for foot pain.

The tribunal heard Ms Okembunachi gave the AIN a Panadol and told her to give it to the patient, despite the AIN not being authorised to do so.

When the AIN asked if Ms Okembenachi was “sure”, the former RN told her: “It’s okay sister, just give it to him”.

Two of Ms Okembunachi’s colleagues reported her actions to their employer, with the employer speaking to her on the phone before issuing an email for a formal meeting.

Ms Okembunachi tendered her resignation 20 minutes later.

The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) brought the matter to NCAT in order to have her registration as a nurse cancelled for unsatisfactory professional conduct.

For her part, Ms Okembunachi was remorseful as she told the HCCC that this had been “a huge lesson” and had been juggling “far too much” in her personal life at the time of the incidents.

She told the HCCC she was studying medical studies at Western Sydney University and had been suffering from migraines, accepting how she had “failed” in her leadership role.

“I failed in my leadership role on those night shifts and in my duty of care to the residents. I was also being paid to work, not sleep,” Ms Okembunachi told the HCCC.

“My conduct was terrible. Not only was the conduct of sleeping while I should have been working but also understand how my conduct would have made the junior staff feel at the HAC, and the difficult position my actions put the AINs in.

“It is conduct I will never engage in ever again.”

The HCCC also heard how Ms Okembunachi hoped to return to the profession and swore she wouldn’t work night shifts while studying if allowed back.

The NCAT panel found her guilty of professional misconduct and ordered the cancellation of her registration as a nurse.

The tribunal has ordered a nine-month ban on any application for review of her registration.