Nurse at private hospital has registration cancelled by High Court

The nurse was reported to have acted inappropriately while cleaning a patient and made faces while doing so. Stock picture

A nurse who was found guilty of professional misconduct and poor professional performance in relation to her care of patients at the Mater Private Hospital, Dublin has had her registration cancelled by the High Court.

The allegations referred to the care given by the nurse, Prisca Ngozi Umeobi, who in July and August 2021 worked in the Dublin hospital.

Among a series of allegations made against the nurse were that she failed to apply a dressing to a patient, failed to shower a patient until the afternoon, and placed a patient who had a knee replacement on a bedpan and left them unattended. She was also reported to have acted inappropriately while cleaning a patient and made faces while doing so.

She was also found on more than one occasion of failing to follow through on the prescribed care needs for patients and failing to assess a patient for pain.

Cancellation the appropriate sanction, notes judge

Confirming the cancellation of the nurse’s registration, the president of the High Court, Mr Justice David Barniville, noted that the fitness-to-practise committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) had, following an inquiry, stated that cancellation was the appropriate and proportionate sanction.

Cancellation of the registration, the committee said, would protect the public and wider public interest and reflected the gravity of the nurse’s failing and shortcomings.

The actions of the nurse, the committee said, “constituted deliberate or reckless acts involving an abuse of the trust placed in a nurse".

Moving the application for cancellation on behalf of the NMBI in the High Court this week, Kevin Kelly BL said there were several “umbrella allegations” and an inquiry was held over three days. The nurse had been found guilty of professional misconduct, poor professional performance, and non-compliance with a code of professional conduct.

The fitness-to-practise committee said it was particularly concerned about the affront to patient care and dignity evinced by the actions of the nurse.

A number of the allegations collectively gave rise to an apprehension by the committee that the nurse lacked appropriate standards of patient care which, unless checked, “may become a risk to patient safety", it said.

The committee said it did not believe the offences proved against the nurse are at the more minor end of the scale and it was satisfied the appropriate and proportionate sanction was cancellation.

It said there would be a risk created to the public were the nurse to continue on the Register of Nurses.

The committee said it took particular issue with the ill treatment of the patients and reduction of their dignity demonstrated in the allegations and said the findings were at the most serious end of the scale.

It said but for the intervention, supervision, or assistance of her colleagues or the medical staff at the hospital, patient care could have been jeopardised.

Cancellation of the registration will protect the public and wider public interest and reflects the gravity of the nurse’s failing and shortcomings, said the committee. 

“Given the profound deficit in attitude displayed by the nurse and her willingness to abuse vulnerable patients and reduce their dignity in times of need, the committee does not consider her failures can be remedied through the imposition of conditions, the attendance at education courses or suspension,” it said.