Drama in Down Under! Nigerian-born nurse Chimzuruoke Okembunachi is making headlines after Australia’s NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal revoked her nursing license following shocking revelations that she repeatedly dozed off during night shifts, putting elderly patients at risk.
The 25-year-old, who moved to Australia in 2018 and was juggling her nursing role with medical studies, worked at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney. Within just weeks of starting, reports emerged that she was the only registered nurse on night shifts, overseeing about 100 residents with a handful of assistants.
Court documents revealed that on six separate nights, she fell asleep on duty, and on three occasions, patients missed their prescribed morphine doses. During one shift, an assistant tried to wake her, only for her to turn the light off and drift back to sleep. On another night, she allowed an unauthorized staff member to administer medication, ignoring safety protocols.
Following complaints, Okembunachi was suspended and resigned immediately. She admitted to the tribunal that working night shifts had placed patients in danger and caused her immense stress, showing remorse. However, the tribunal ruled that her actions constituted professional misconduct, with potential risks to patient safety, making deregistration unavoidable.
She cannot reapply to nurse for at least nine months, and while she’s paused her nursing career, she continues her medical studies, supported by her father and student allowances.
This shocking revelation has left many questioning: how does someone entrusted with lives simply snooze on the job?