Panel hearing summary 2011.0035

Decision of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia

Performance and Professional Standards Panel

Jurisdiction: Victoria

Date of hearing and decision: 28 November 2011

Classification of Notification:

Clinical care - inappropriate delay in care

Response to adverse event - failure to disclose adverse event.

Allegations

The nurse faced allegations that she had failed to adequately intervene in an incident in which a patient was found to have been assaulted and did not adequately report the incident.

Finding

The Panel found that the nurse had witnessed an enrolled nurse lifting the mattress on a patient’s bed which then slid to the floor with the patient still on it. The Panel noted that the nurse regretted that she did not take charge and act appropriately to protect the patient from the behaviour of the enrolled nurse. The nurse had participated in fortnightly clinical supervision and undertook further education since the incident, much at her own expense. The nurse expressed a continuing wish to develop further insight into her own nursing practice and undertake education that may be of assistance.

The Panel concluded that the nurse had behaved in a way that constituted unsatisfactory professional performance.

Determination

The Panel determined to caution the nurse and required her to undertake further education in relation to delegating work activities, including how to complete incident reports and information about bullying and harassment. Further, the nurse was required to continue to attend fortnightly clinical supervision sessions for 12 months and provide AHPRA with three monthly reports that these sessions had been attended, and participated in, to the satisfaction of the clinical supervisor during the 12-month period.

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