Nurse struck off for stealing from patient
Antonette V Estrella took the bank card and security number in Sept 2010 while working in a hospital and used it twice on Sept 12, once successfully. Ms Estrella was found guilty of profess-ional misconduct by An Bord Altranais. Her name was erased from the nursing register which means she cannot legally practise as a nurse in Ireland.
Another nurse, Olga Helen Frances Yonet, who attended to a mother and baby while under the influence of alcohol, was also found guilty of professional misconduct. The fitness to practise committee said she had engaged in nursing when “unfit to do so by reason of your consumption of alcohol”. Ms Yonet was censured for her behaviour and conditions were attached to her name in the nursing register.
Other nurses found guilty of professional misconduct included:
* Alvin Ramos Gorriceta for assaulting a patient in hospital. His name was erased from the register;
* Mary Carol Gallagher, who took blank prescriptions from a hospital, completed them for her own benefit, forged the signature of a medical practitioner and presented them at a pharmacy on a number of occasions between 2004 and 2010. The committee found she was “so addicted to drugs so as to render you unfit to engage in the practise of nursing”. Ms Gallagher’s name was erased from the register;
* Siobhán Bridget Kelly misappropriated one or more prescriptions from hospital, wrote a repeat prescription for codeine phosphate, forged the signature of a medical practitioner on the prescription and arranged for it be dispensed in one or more pharmacies. Ms Kelly had conditions attached to her name in the register;
* Sandra Margaret Kins-ella attended for duty at a health centre in Jun 2011 while under the influence of alcohol. She was censured and had conditions attached to her name;
* Gráinne Paula Conway failed to ensure that “any or any adequate care” was given to five residents of a nursing home. Ms Conway’s name was erased from the register.
An Bord Altranais took action against two other nurses. Derek Patrick Cooke had pleaded guilty to an offence in 2006 contrary to Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (Northern Ireland). Mr Cooke was censured by the board.
Nicholas Dominic Power was convicted of offences contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act, 2001. His name was erased from the register.
