Nigerian-Born Nurse Stripped of Licence in Australia for Sleeping on Night Duty

A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has had her nursing registration cancelled in Australia after a tribunal found she repeatedly slept during critical night shifts at a Sydney aged care facility. The 25-year-old was the sole registered nurse overseeing approximately 100 elderly residents and several assistants during the shifts in question.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that her conduct, which occurred on six separate nights between March 13 and 27, 2024, constituted professional misconduct and created a serious risk to patient safety. On three occasions, residents missed their prescribed morphine doses due to her negligence. She was also found to have inappropriately delegated medication administration to an unqualified assistant.

Okembunachi admitted to the allegations, expressing remorse and attributing her actions to extreme stress from health issues, academic pressures, and family financial burdens. She acknowledged that working night shifts under these conditions had compromised patient care.

While noting her honesty and contrition, the tribunal concluded that deregistration was the only suitable penalty given the potential danger to lives. She was suspended from her position at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford within a month of starting and later resigned. Okembunachi is now prohibited from applying for a review of the decision for at least nine months.