Gortacharn Residential and Nursing Home, Lisnaskea RMG52
A FERMANAGH nurse who was found to be drunk on duty at least three times has been struck off for “putting her patients at risk.”
Concerns have now been raised as to why it took so long for action to be taken against the nurse, who was working at the Gortacharn Nursing Home in Lisnaskea.
Mary O’Brien was not present or represented at her misconduct hearing before the Conduct and Competence Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in London last week.
She was charged with drinking alcohol either before coming on duty or while on duty on July 4, 2014 and February 9, 2015.
The committee heard she had been previously given a four-year caution in 2012 for similar behaviour while working at another Fermanagh home in 2009.
On July 4, 2014 Mrs O’Brien arrived at work at 7.50pm for night duty. Initially there was no obvious cause for concern regarding her behaviour, however at 11.30pm when another staff nurse went to Mrs O’Brien for assistance she appeared unsteady, was avoiding eye contact and smelled of alcohol.
Her manager was informed and Mrs O’Brien was sent home. The next day she admitted to drinking before duty, and she was suspended from work.
Mrs O’Brien was later asked to return to work at the home as a healthcare assistant, and on February 9, 2015, again during night duty, she was reported as acting “inappropriately”. When the acting manager spoke with her they discovered her speech was slurred, and she admitted to drinking. She was subsequently sacked by the home.
The hearing was told Mrs O’Brien’s conduct “put patients at risk of harm as she was the nurse in charge of the patients’ care management, especially as she had conducted a medicines round” with regard charge one, on July 4.
However, at the hearing it was ruled that charge two, on February 9, did not amount to misconduct as she was not working as a nurse.
It was noted that although misconduct was only ruled on one incident, “it was a repetition of past behaviour.” It was also noted that Mrs O’Brien, who had nine years professional nursing experience, had expressed an intention not to return to nursing.
The panel ruled to make a striking-off order, to remove her name from the NMC register, and imposed an immediate 18-month suspension pending appeal of the ruling.
Commenting on the case, Fermanagh MP Tom Elliot said there was “obviously a huge gap or failing in the system” that had allowed Mrs O’Brien to drink at work on several different occasions before action was taken.
“The Home has a level of responsibility here, but I would wonder about the level of communication with the NMC,” he said.
“As far as I’m aware, they have no base here and only have one member of staff who looks after Northern Ireland and all of Scotland.”
Mr Elliot added that if Mrs O’Brien had not been a registered nurse no action would’ve been taken, expressing a concern there may be further incidents with healthcare workers that go unreported.
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere