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Nurse screamed at dementia patients
A NURSE who screamed at dementia patients in a Leeds hospital and threatened to kick an elderly man after his legs got trapped in his bedrails has been struck off.
Susan Oakes, 57, left the confused pensioner moaning in pain after she used her knee to force his legs free of the rails, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.
The experienced nurse from Lofthouse, Wakefield, raged at another confused dementia patient who had got up in the night, and pushed him down on his bed using the palm of her hand on his forehead.
She then held his hands above his head while she yelled in his face.
The NMC ruled the only 'proper and proportionate' thing to do was to ban Oakes from the nursing profession after finding her guilty of two charges of misconduct in respect of the two male patients who were over 80.
Panel chairman Gill Barker said Oakes posed a 'continuing risk to patients.'
"Her conduct towards two elderly, frail and vulnerable patients was abusive and showed no regard to their safety, dignity or peace of mind," she said.
Oakes was nursing the dementia patients on Ward 31 of St James's Hospital during the night shift of July 21 to 22, 2005.
Rosemary Rollason, for the NMC, told how Oakes lost her temper when one of the elderly men, referred to as Patient A, got out of bed and caused a commotion at about 2.30am.
"Patient A had severe dementia and also had a urinary infection which exacerbated his confusion. He could be a rather difficult and argumentative patient and was unsteady on his feet," Ms Rollason said.
Elizabeth Curtin, a student nurse, was alone with Oakes on the ward when they heard noises from Patient A's bay and she went to investigate.
"We saw Patient A in the middle of the bay on the floor. He had disconnected his catheter and had pulled it out of his arm," Ms Curtin said.
"He was attempting to get back up but he was very confused and couldn't get himself back up from the floor."
Oakes turned the light on and immediately started shouting at the elderly man, who had also urinated on the floor.
Patient A, who was a small man, kept trying to sit back up in bed, Ms Curtin said.
"She used the palm of her hand on his forehead and quite firmly pushed his head back to the bed," said Ms Curtin.
As the two nurses returned to their nursing station they heard commotion from another confused and elderly patient – who had got his knees trapped between the bars of the bed rails.
"She said to him, 'if you don't get your knees out of the bars, I'll kick them out.'"
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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