A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has lost her nursing licence in Australia after a tribunal found that she repeatedly slept during night shifts at an aged care facility, exposing elderly residents to serious risk.
According to Daily Mail, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal on January 20 ruled that Ms Okembunachi’s conduct in March 2024 amounted to professional misconduct, leading to the cancellation of her nursing registration.
Ms Okembunachi, 25, began working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney, in February 2024. She was suspended less than a month later and subsequently resigned from the role.
Tribunal proceedings revealed that between March 13 and 27, she was the only registered nurse on duty during night shifts, overseeing three or four assistants-in-nursing and approximately 100 residents.
The tribunal heard that on six separate nights, she failed to carry out her duties after falling asleep. On three occasions, residents missed prescribed doses of morphine.
Evidence presented showed that during her shift on March 21–22, an assistant-in-nursing switched on the light at the nurses’ station in an attempt to wake her, but she reportedly turned it off shortly after and returned to sleep.
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On another occasion, March 15, she instructed an assistant-in-nursing to administer Panadol to a patient despite the assistant not being authorised to do so, telling her, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”
Two nurses formally reported her conduct on March 27. The following day, she received an email informing her of her suspension and inviting her to a meeting. She resigned about 20 minutes later and declined to attend the meeting.
Ms Okembunachi, who was born in Nigeria, moved to Australia in 2018. She completed a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021 and was studying medicine at Western Sydney University while working at the aged care facility.
In her submission to the tribunal, she said, “These events caused me significant stress… In hindsight, I should not applied for, or accepted the position at Hardi. Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk.”
She also admitted, “When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents.”
While the tribunal acknowledged her “remorseful and contrite” attitude, it ruled that deregistration was necessary, stating that her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”
Ms Okembunachi is barred from seeking a review of the decision for at least nine months. She has not returned to nursing but continues her medical studies, supported by her father and a Centrelink Student Allowance.