Nigerian nurse stripped of license in Australia for sleeping on night shifts

A Nigerian-born nurse practising in Australia has lost her licence after a tribunal found she repeatedly slept while on duty during overnight shifts at an aged care facility, exposing vulnerable residents to serious risk.

The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal on January 20 cancelled the nursing registration of Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, ruling that her conduct amounted to professional misconduct.

The decision followed multiple incidents in March 2024 while she worked at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney.

Tribunal finds nurse endangered elderly patients during overnight duties

Ms Okembunachi, 25, was employed in February 2024 and was often the only registered nurse on night duty, overseeing about 100 elderly residents alongside three or four assistants-in-nursing.

Evidence presented showed that she slept through parts of at least six shifts, during which critical responsibilities were neglected.

On three occasions, residents reportedly missed prescribed doses of morphine. In another incident on March 15, she instructed an assistant to administer medication the staff member was not authorised to give, telling her, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”

The tribunal also heard that during a March 21–22 shift, an assistant turned on the nurses’ station light to wake her, only for Ms Okembunachi to switch it off moments later and return to sleep.

Medication errors, unauthorised treatment cited in ruling

Two colleagues formally reported her conduct on March 27. She was suspended the next day and invited to a disciplinary meeting but resigned shortly after, declining to attend.

During proceedings, Ms Okembunachi admitted fault, stating, “These events caused me significant stress… In hindsight, I should not applied for, or accepted the position at Hardi. Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk.” She added, “When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents.”

While the tribunal acknowledged her remorse, it ruled that deregistration was necessary, citing the potential danger to patients’ lives. She will be barred from seeking a review for at least nine months.

Ms Okembunachi, who moved to Australia in 2018, is no longer practising nursing but continues her medical studies at Western Sydney University.