Australian tribunal rules that repeated sleeping during night shifts and medication lapses at a Sydney aged-care facility constituted professional misconduct and endangered residents’ safety.

A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has lost her licence to practise in Australia after a tribunal found that she repeatedly slept while on duty during night shifts at an aged-care facility in Sydney.

The 25-year-old was deregistered by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), which determined that her conduct amounted to professional misconduct and posed a serious risk to patient safety. Okembunachi had been employed at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford from February 2024 but was suspended less than a month later and subsequently resigned.

Tribunal findings revealed that between March 13 and March 27, 2024, Okembunachi worked several night shifts as the sole registered nurse responsible for supervising up to four assistants-in-nursing and approximately 100 elderly residents. During this period, she reportedly fell asleep on duty on six separate occasions, failing to adequately oversee staff and residents.

The tribunal further noted that on three of those nights, residents missed their prescribed doses of morphine. In addition, evidence showed that Okembunachi instructed an assistant-in-nursing—who was not authorised—to administer medication, raising further concerns about patient safety and compliance with professional standards.

Concerns about her behaviour were formally raised by colleagues on March 27, prompting her suspension the following day. At the hearing, Okembunachi admitted to the allegations and expressed remorse, explaining that she had been dealing with significant personal pressures, including health issues, academic demands and financial responsibilities to her family.

She acknowledged that accepting night shifts while under such strain impaired her ability to perform her duties safely. While the tribunal recognised her honesty and contrition, it concluded that deregistration was the only appropriate sanction, emphasising that her actions had the potential to place vulnerable residents at serious risk.

Under the ruling, Okembunachi will be barred from seeking a review of the decision for at least nine months.

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