NHS nurse struck off after threats to patients
A NHS nurse has been struck off for threatening to put a dementia patient “to sleep” with an injection.
Irene Brown, 63, threw the elderly man on to his bed – and threatened to “knock out” another patient during a hospital night shift.
A misconduct hearing was told experienced nurse Brown abused “vulnerable” patients during the single shift.
Case presenter Neil Jeffs said Brown began making “derogatory comments” when dealing with an elderly patient with dementia at the Ysbyty Cwm Rhondda hospital in Tonypandy.
When the man – known only as Patient A – refused to go to bed, Brown threatened him, shouting: “Keep on and you’ll have an injection”. She then said: “Bloody keep on, bloody injection and you’ll go to bloody sleep tonight.”
A male colleague said Brown threw the man on his bed before grabbing his wrists and pinning them against his chest.
Brown also refused to take another dementia patient to the toilet, saying: “He doesn’t bloody need the toilet, he’s just being bloody awkward”.
Brown was then heard telling the elderly man – known as Patient B – she would “knock him out” when he asked her to help move him in bed.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing in Cardiff heard Brown was investigated by South Wales Police but the case never came to trial. Brown refused to attend her misconduct hearing, but wrote a letter blaming the hospital for “insufficient” support during the shift on January 21, 2015.
She said: “I bitterly regret that I did not ask for help from the other staff nurse on duty. The repercussions have had a detrimental effect on me.”
Brown said the accusations against her were “inaccurate” and that she never “physically and verbally abused” the two patients.
Chairman Susan Hurds said: “The panel determined that Brown still remains liable to repeat clinical failings of the kind found proved.”
Brown was given a striking-off order, removing her name from the nursing register indefinitely.