Nurse who taped patient’s mouth ‘not ongoing risk’

A nurse who taped a patient’s mouth would not be an ongoing risk to patients in future, a psychiatrist told a disciplinary hearing yesterday.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Patricia Noonan said staff nurse Bimbo Paden was under stress on the morning of the incident and felt ashamed, guilty and remorseful.

Dr Noonan was giving evidence on behalf of Mr Paden, 40, a nurse at St John’s Community Hospital in Sligo, who is before the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

Allegations of professional misconduct against the Filipino nurse are that he placed surgical tape over a patient’s mouth and placed a sling under him on June 26 last year without the assistance of a colleague.

Mr Paden, a married man of three, has been accused of failing to act in the best interests of the severely brain damaged patient and had placed his health, safety and welfare at risk.

On the second day of the inquiry Dr Noonan, said it was her view that with treatment and supervision Mr Paden would not be an ongoing risk in the future.

Replying to counsel for the board’s chief executive, Neasa Bird, Dr Noonan, said Mr Paden’s return to nursing would depend on whether he was in a stress free environment.

“He could cope with a certain level of stress but when the stress becomes too much people don’t cope very well,” she said.

“There is no evidence of him ever having behaved in such a way in any other situation in that hospital where he had worked for 12 years.

“It seems to be a once-off in a very demanding unit,” said Dr Noonan, who diagnosed Mr Paden with a depressive illness, with anxiety symptoms. “I don’t think any nurse should be in a stressful environment. They should be in a healthy environment where they can work appropriately.”

Clinical nurse manager Gráinne McHugh, who was on duty on the ward, told counsel for Mr Paden, Noel Whelan, that the challenging behaviour of the patient whose mouth was taped would, to a certain extent, have an impact on the nurse’s workload.

Mr Whelan put it to Ms McHugh that on the day the ward was severely understaffed and Mr Paden’s workload was excessive. “I agree we could have done with more staff on that day,” she replied.

Ms McHugh said it was the responsibility of staff to get assistance and support if they felt under stress or unsafe. Mr Paden could have removed himself from a situation he considered unsafe.

Acting assistant director of nursing at St John’s, Nuala Gallagher, said that on the day of the mouth taping incident Mr Paden was on his first day back from taking annual leave and was not exhibiting any signs of stress.

When she spoke to him afterwards he repeatedly told her he wanted to go home to the Philippines but did not appear to be distressed about the patient involved or the incident.

The inquiry has adjourned until November 3.