Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Nurse tried to cover up medication dose errors
A DUNDEE nurse gave a patient extra medication then tried to cover up her mistake by altering the patient’s notes and prescription.
Ms Shingairai Kumbula, a registered nurse since 2006, appeared in a misconduct case against her after she gave a patient three additional doses of medication which had not been prescribed on May 16, 17 and 18 last year, all at 10pm.
Having realised her mistake, she then altered the patient’s notes on May 19 or 20 by scoring out her signatures that indicated she had given the additional medication.
She also altered the patient’s prescription to state that a third daily dose was required at 10pm.
The changes were discovered by a pharmacist who alerted the charge nurse on Ward 6 at Ninewells Hospital, where Ms Kumbula worked. The nurse questioned Ms Kumbula about the amendments, asking who had made them and she failed to explain it was her.
An i nternal i nvestigation was launched and Ms Kumbula was found to be responsible, prompting the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to launch a probe.
She was found guilty of three charges of misconduct.
She was also found guilty of a fourth charge stating her actions were dishonest and she attempted to mislead others reading the notes of how medication had been administrated to the patient.
Ms Kumbula was suspended from practice for one month.
In its findings, the NMC board said: “The panel determined that reasonable and honest nurses would consider it dishonest to amend a patient’s prescription chart so as to attempt to mislead any person reviewing that chart about the way a drug had been prescribed and administered.
“The panel was of the view that your actions and omissions fell seriously short of the standards expected of a registered nurse and amounted to misconduct — nurses have a duty and responsibility to act with honesty and integrity and communicate with their colleagues to ensure the safety and care of their patients.”
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said: “We do not comment on matters relating to individual members of staff.”
Ms Kumbula could not be reached for comment.