‘Dishonest’ Hemel Hempsted nurse struck off after falsifying patient records
The NMC concluded Anna Marie Curran had tried to “cover up” her failure to give medication to a patient
A “dishonest” nurse has been struck off after she falsified patient records at a Hemel Hempstead care home.
A misconduct panel from the Nursing and Midwifery Council concluded that Anna Marie Curran had tried to “cover up” her failure to give medication to a patient at Water Mill House Care home.
The panel found that, in May 2021, Miss Curran had recorded that she had administered a number of different medications to a patient, known as Patient A, when she had not.
Its report said: “It is more likely than not that the reason Miss Curran recorded that she had administered medication and nutrition to Patient A when she had not was because she intended to cover up her failure.
“Miss Curran’s state of mind would be regarded objectively as dishonest by the standards of ordinary decent people.
“Miss Curran falsified Patient A’s Medication Administration Record chart to cover up her omissions and deliberately misrepresent that she provided care that she had not.”
A complaint was made about Miss Curran’s actions by Patient A’s wife, who had been in his private room from 10am until 7pm on the day in question.
Miss Curran was suspended within a week of the complaint being made and, despite resigning shortly afterwards, was sacked within two weeks after an internal disciplinary process.
Patient A’s wife had also requested that the patient be suctioned as part of his care, but this was not provided by Miss Curran.
The misconduct panel’s report said: “This was dangerous and could have resulted in Patient A choking on his secretions.
“Miss Curran’s actions fell seriously short of the conduct and standards expected of a nurse.
“Miss Curran put Patient A, who was highly vulnerable, at unwarranted risk of harm by not administering prescribed medication and nutrition, which could have caused weight loss and other health complications, as well as not suctioning him upon his wife’s request.
“By way of dishonesty and failing to undertake basic care responsibilities she should have been adhering to, Miss Curran brought the nursing profession into disrepute.
“Miss Curran has not demonstrated insight into the impact of her behaviour but rather chose to deflect and minimise.”
The panel decided to strike Miss Curran from the register, with an interim suspension order made to cover the 28-day appeal period.