Nigerian-Born Nurse Loses Licence in Australia Over Sleeping on Duty

A A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has been deregistered in Australia after being found guilty of repeatedly sleeping while on duty during night shifts at an aged care facility in Sydney.

The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) ruled that Okembunachi’s conduct amounted to professional misconduct and posed a serious risk to patient safety.

The 25-year-old nurse was employed at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford from February 2024 but was suspended within a month and later resigned.

According to the tribunal, Okembunachi worked several night shifts between March 13 and March 27, 2024, during which she was the only registered nurse supervising up to four assistants-in-nursing and approximately 100 elderly residents.

The tribunal found that she fell asleep on six occasions while on duty. On three of those nights, residents reportedly missed their prescribed morphine doses. It was also established that she instructed an assistant-in-nursing to administer medication despite the assistant not being authorised to do so.

Concerns about her conduct were raised by colleagues on March 27, leading to her suspension the following day.

In its ruling, the tribunal stated that her actions “represented a serious departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse” and had “the potential to place vulnerable residents at significant risk.”

During the hearing, Okembunachi admitted to the allegations and expressed remorse. She told the tribunal that she had been under intense pressure from health challenges, academic commitments and family financial responsibilities, admitting that accepting night shifts under those circumstances compromised patient care.

While acknowledging her honesty and remorse, the tribunal held that deregistration was the appropriate sanction. It noted that “public confidence in the nursing profession must be maintained,” adding that patient safety remained paramount.

Okembunachi will be barred from applying for a review of the decision for at least nine months.