A shocking incident at the Awel Y Mor Care Home in Gorseinon, Swansea has led to the striking off of registered nurse Katie Evans after she told a colleague to cover a patient’s head with a pillow and leave her in a soiled condition. The comments were deemed “deplorable” by a fitness to practise hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The care home provides services for both young adults with complex needs and elderly residents. Evans, a registered nurse for 10 years, was accused of making disturbing remarks to a colleague about Patient A, suggesting to put a pillow over her head and saying she could be left in a soiled state. The panel found evidence supporting these allegations, as well as another incident where Evans failed to assist Patient A when she soiled herself.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Patient A had frequently buzzed for help, sometimes reaching up to 200 times in a day. Colleagues testified that Evans had made the comments in a stressful manner, claiming they were meant as jokes. However, the panel concluded that her actions fell far short of the professional standards expected of a registered nurse.
Despite claims that Evans was a good nurse, the panel determined that there was a high risk of repetition in her behaviour. Consequently, Evans was removed from the nursing register, with the panel citing the seriousness of the comments made about Patient A.
The Awel-Y-Mor Care Home emphasises its commitment to providing high-quality, person-centred care for individuals with various needs, including acquired brain injury, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and motor neurone disease. The facility also caters to elderly frail clients and bariatric patients.
In light of this distressing incident, the panel’s decision to ban Evans from practising reflects the gravity of the situation and the need to uphold professional standards in the healthcare sector. The care and wellbeing of vulnerable patients must always remain a top priority, and such misconduct cannot be tolerated within the nursing profession.