A 25-year-old Nigerian-born nurse has had her nursing registration cancelled in Australia after a tribunal found that she repeatedly fell asleep during night shifts at an aged care facility, placing vulnerable elderly residents at risk, according to a ruling by the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
The nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, began working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney, in February 2024. Less than a month into the role, she was suspended and later resigned amid mounting concerns about her conduct on night duty.
Tribunal proceedings revealed that between March 13 and March 27, 2024, Ms. Okembunachi was the sole registered nurse rostered for night shifts, responsible for supervising three to four assistants-in-nursing (AINs) and looking after approximately 100 residents each night.
Evidence presented to the tribunal showed that on at least six separate nights, she “failed to perform her duties because she fell asleep” while on shift. On three of those occasions, residents missed prescribed doses of morphine because she was asleep and unavailable to administer or oversee medication delivery.
In one particularly striking incident on the night of March 21–22, an assistant-in-nursing turned on the nurses’ station light in an attempt to rouse her. The tribunal heard that Ms. Okembunachi switched the light off about a minute later and returned to sleep.
On March 15, she instructed an assistant to give a patient Panadol, even though the assistant was not authorised to administer medications. When the assistant asked whether this was allowed, Ms. Okembunachi reportedly replied: “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him.”
The behaviour was eventually reported by two nurses on March 27, prompting facility management to intervene. Ms. Okembunachi was sent an email the next day notifying her of her suspension and inviting her to a meeting, but she resigned about 20 minutes later and declined to attend the meeting.
During the hearing, Ms. Okembunachi acknowledged her failings and expressed remorse. She told the tribunal:
“These events caused me significant stress… ln hindsight, I should not have 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.”
Despite her contrition, the tribunal concluded that her conduct “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care” and that deregistration was the necessary response to protect public safety. Any order short of cancelling her licence was deemed insufficient given the seriousness of the misconduct.
The tribunal has barred her from applying for a review of the decision for at least nine months. Since her suspension, Ms. Okembunachi has not returned to nursing but continues her medical studies at Western Sydney University, supported by her father and Australia’s Centrelink Student Allowance.
Born in Nigeria, Ms. Okembunachi moved to Australia in 2018 and earned her Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021. At the time of the incidents, she was juggling her nursing duties with further studies in medicine.
The case underscores the stringent expectations placed on registered nurses, especially those working in sole-charge roles during unsocial hours, where lapses in attention can have severe consequences for patient care and safety.
