A 25-year-old Nigerian nurse practicing in Australia, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has had her professional registration revoked following a series of disciplinary findings regarding her conduct on duty. The decision to strip her of her license came after it was established that she repeatedly neglected her responsibilities by sleeping during critical work hours at an aged care facility.
The New South Wales (NSW) Civil and Administrative Tribunal reviewed the evidence against Okembunachi and officially found her guilty of professional misconduct. Okay News reports that the tribunal ordered the immediate cancellation of her nursing registration, emphasizing that her behavior posed a significant risk to the safety and well-being of the elderly residents she was hired to protect.
Detailed reports from the proceedings indicated that during one specific shift between March 21 and 22, the nurse was found to have slept for approximately four hours and 24 minutes. At the time, she was the only registered nurse on-site, bearing the primary responsibility for the health monitoring of roughly 100 elderly patients and the supervision of several nursing assistants.
The tribunal further noted that the issue of sleeping on the job was not a one-time error, as the behavior was documented across six different shifts. Additionally, Okembunachi was accused of further professional lapses, including an incident where she allegedly instructed an unqualified assistant nurse to administer medication to a patient—a task that the assistant was not legally authorized or trained to perform.
The situation escalated when junior staff members reported these irregularities to the hospital’s management, prompting an internal investigation. Although the facility issued a formal notice for a disciplinary meeting, Okembunachi reportedly refused to attend the session and instead submitted her resignation letter the following day in an attempt to exit the role on her own terms.
Despite her departure from the hospital, the tribunal proceeded with the legal case to address the severity of the clinical neglect. The final ruling serves as a definitive measure to uphold healthcare standards, ensuring that she can no longer practice as a registered nurse in Australia. The case has highlighted the stringent oversight maintained by Australian health regulators regarding the care of vulnerable populations.
