An Australian tribunal has revoked the nursing licence of a Nigerian-born nurse after finding that she repeatedly fell asleep while on duty, placing elderly patients at risk.
The nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, was deregistered following a ruling by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which found her guilty of professional misconduct while working at an aged care facility in Guildford, Sydney. The tribunal heard that she slept during multiple night shifts in March 2024, despite being the only registered nurse responsible for overseeing both patients and junior nursing staff.
On one occasion, Okembunachi reportedly slept for more than four hours, resulting in some residents missing critical medications. In another incident, she was said to have improperly instructed an assistant nurse to administer pain relief drugs without proper authorisation. The misconduct was reported by colleagues, leading to an internal investigation and her subsequent resignation.
Although the nurse admitted to the allegations and cited personal health and academic challenges, the tribunal ruled that her actions posed serious risks to vulnerable patients. As a result, her registration was cancelled, and she has been barred from reapplying for at least nine months
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