Nigerian Nurse Loses Licence In Australia Over Sleeping On Night Duty

According to Ireporter Online, a Nigerian-born nurse practising in Australia has had her nursing licence cancelled after a tribunal determined that she repeatedly slept while on duty during overnight shifts at an aged care facility, thereby placing elderly residents at significant risk.

The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal, in a ruling delivered on January 20, found that Chimzuruoke Okembunachi engaged in professional misconduct warranting deregistration. The decision followed several incidents recorded in March 2024 during her employment at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney.

Ms Okembunachi, 25, was employed in February 2024 and was frequently the only registered nurse assigned to night shifts, responsible for supervising approximately 100 residents with the support of three to four assistants-in-nursing. Evidence before the tribunal showed that she fell asleep during portions of at least six overnight shifts, leading to lapses in essential clinical oversight.

The tribunal heard that on three separate occasions, residents failed to receive prescribed doses of morphine. In another incident on March 15, Ms Okembunachi instructed an assistant to administer medication despite the staff member lacking authorisation, reportedly assuring her that it was acceptable to proceed.

Further testimony revealed that during a shift on March 21–22, an assistant attempted to wake the nurse by turning on the light at the nurses’ station, only for Ms Okembunachi to switch it off and resume sleeping shortly afterwards.

Concerns over her conduct were formally raised by two colleagues on March 27, leading to her suspension the following day. She was invited to attend a disciplinary meeting but resigned from her position shortly after and declined to participate in the process.

During tribunal proceedings, Ms Okembunachi acknowledged her actions and expressed remorse, stating that the incidents caused her considerable stress and that she should not have accepted the role under the circumstances. She admitted that sleeping on duty compromised patient safety and her ability to properly supervise staff and residents.

While noting her admission of fault, the tribunal ruled that cancellation of her registration was necessary given the seriousness of the misconduct and the potential risk to patients’ lives. She will be ineligible to apply for a review of the decision for a minimum of nine months.

Ms Okembunachi, who relocated to Australia in 2018, is no longer practising as a nurse and is currently pursuing medical studies at Western Sydney University.