Northallerton nurse gave patient medicine not prescribed to them

Glory Ogechi Nwachukwu‑Udaku gave Lorezepam (used to treat anxiety and sleeping problems) to a resident who was “agitated” after taking it from another patient’s medication supply.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council panel last month concluded her behaviour was a “significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse” and was “fundamentally incompatible with you remaining on the register”.

The misconduct panel heard how on the night of August 25 to 26, 2022, when working at Mount Vale Care Home in Northallerton, Ms Nwachukwu‑Udaku administered Lorazepam to a patient when it was not prescribed to them.

The panel heard a witness statement from a registered nurse at the care home, who said she came into work in the morning and was told there were no concerns with any issues from the night shift

The nurse then added: “Then she said to me that Resident A had been particularly noisy for long periods of time during the night and had been agitated, this was between 12.30am and 5am.

“Her next statement particularly shocked and concerned me. Glory said: ‘I made a nursing judgement that this lady needs something’ (referring to Resident A).

“Glory went on to say: ‘I gave Resident A half a Lorazepam tablet which I had taken from the medication supply of Resident B’. I asked Glory to repeat herself, which she did.

“She was very confident and self-assured and repeated on three or four occasions that she had made a ‘nursing judgement’.”

Other witnesses corroborated the evidence of the registered nurse.

Ms Nwachukwu‑Udaku denied the charge, saying there had been a “miscommunication” and she had suggested the GP be contacted to see if the resident could be prescribed Lorazepam.

However, the panel found it was “implausible” that all colleagues had misunderstood the nurse.

Ms Nwachukwu‑Udaku also did not record in Resident A’s medication administration record (MAR) that she had administered Lorazepam.

She also did not record in Resident B’s MAR that she had removed the medication that was designated for them.

The nurse denied the charge again, saying she did not take the medication from the supply, but the charge was ultimately found proved.

The registered nurse was also struck off for her behaviour from her time when she worked at Woodlands Hospital in Darlington.

The panel heard that between October 2021 and February 10, 2023, Ms Nwachukwu‑Udaku behaved in an unprofessional manner while working at the hospital by using her mobile during work time and took extended coffee or lunch breaks without permission.

She also demonstrated poor clinical handwashing technique, was unable to mount blades on a knife and also was unable to inform the surgeon that the instrument count was correct during a procedure.

She was struck off and also handed an 18-month interim suspension order.

A spokesperson for Barchester Healthcare, which runs Mount Vale Care Home, said: “Glory Ogechi Nwachukwu‑Udaku was not directly employed by Mount Vale Care Home/Barchester.

“She worked briefly in 2022 as an agency nurse via the Florence agency on a short-term, ad hoc basis.”

A spokesperson for Woodlands Hospital added: “We expect the highest standards of personal and professional conduct from the individuals that chose to work with us. 

“The individual in question is no longer employed by the Woodlands Hospital and hasn’t been for some time.”

The hospital added as soon as it became aware of concerns regarding Ms Nwachukwu‑Udaku’s professional conduct, she was suspended with immediate effect.

The hospital said she was dismissed in January 2023.