A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has had her nursing licence cancelled in Australia after a tribunal found that she repeatedly slept while on night duty at an aged care facility, exposing elderly residents to serious risk.

The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled on January 20 that Okembunachi’s conduct amounted to professional misconduct, resulting in the cancellation of her registration as a nurse.

The incidents took place in March 2024 at Hardi Aged Care facility in Guildford, western Sydney, where Okembunachi had started working in February 2024.

During tribunal proceedings, it emerged that between March 13 and March 27, the then 25-year-old was frequently the sole registered nurse on night shifts, supervising three to four assistants-in-nursing and responsible for about 100 residents.

Evidence showed that on at least six nights, she fell asleep while on duty and failed to perform her responsibilities. On three occasions, residents missed prescribed doses of morphine because of this.

In one incident on the night of March 21–22, an assistant switched on the light at the nurses’ station to wake her, but she reportedly turned it off shortly afterwards and went back to sleep.

On March 15, she allegedly directed an assistant-in-nursing, who was not authorised to administer medication, to give Panadol to a patient, saying, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”

Her conduct was reported by two nurses on March 27. The next day, she received an email informing her of her suspension and inviting her to a meeting. About 20 minutes later, she resigned and declined to attend the meeting.

Born in Nigeria, Okembunachi migrated to Australia in 2018. She completed a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021 and, at the time of the incidents, was studying medicine at Western Sydney University while employed at the aged care facility.

In her tribunal testimony, she admitted fault and expressed remorse, acknowledging the stress the experience caused her and that she should not have taken the role.

“In hindsight, I should not have applied for, or accepted the position at Hardi,” she said. “Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk.”

She also admitted, “When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents.”

The tribunal observed that she appeared remorseful and contrite but ruled that deregistration was necessary because her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care.”

Under the decision, Okembunachi is prohibited from applying for a review for at least nine months. She has not returned to nursing and continues her medical studies, supported by her father and Australia’s Centrelink Student Allowance.