Nurse struck off after sleeping on duty and risking elderly patients’ lives

A nurse from Nigeria has been permanently struck off the UK’s medical register after repeatedly neglecting her duties and endangering patients. Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, 25, lost her registration following serious misconduct during night shifts at an aged care facility. Okembunachi, who was responsible for caring for 100 elderly residents, was found asleep on duty multiple times, leading to patients not receiving their vital medication, including morphine, on three separate occasions. Her actions, which put patients at risk, prompted colleagues to report her. Okembunachi was suspended from Hardi Aged Care and later resigned. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that her conduct amounted to professional misconduct. In another incident, Okembunachi instructed an assistant to give a male patient medication without proper authorization, stating, 'It's okay, just give it to him.' The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) suspended her registration before permanently removing it in March 2025. The tribunal barred her from applying for a review of the cancellation for at least nine months. Okembunachi's registration has now been permanently revoked, preventing her from practicing as a nurse in the UK. The decision follows findings that her repeated failures endangered patients under her care. She will remain off the register unless a future appeal succeeds.