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Nurse struck off for not attempting CPR

Rosaline Appice confused a nursing home resident with another who had DNACPR notice in place
Brass plate with the name of the NMC

Rosaline Appice confused a nursing home resident with another who had a DNACPR notice in place

Brass plate with the name of the NMC
Picture: Barney Newman

A nurse has been struck off for not attempting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a nursing home resident, after confusing her with another resident with a similar surname who had a do not attempt CPR (DNACPR) notice in place.

Rosaline Appice later falsely claimed she had started chest compressions on the female resident, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Fitness to Practise hearing from 10-14 May was told.

Apologised for failing to call an ambulance

Ms Appice made the claim during an internal investigation at the Kestrel Grove Residential and Nursing Home in Hertfordshire where she worked, the panel heard.

NMC documents show that during a night shift on 29 July 2017 Ms Appice failed to call an ambulance for the resident and incorrectly told a doctor there was a DNACPR notice in place.

She also phoned the family of the resident who had a DNACPR notice to tell them their loved one was deteriorating. Once the mix-up became apparent she failed to contact the family again to tell them she had made a mistake.

Separately, Ms Appice was found to have failed to escalate an incident in which a male resident at the home behaved in a way that was sexually inappropriate towards a female resident, and the inappropriate behaviour was later repeated.

Nurse has 28 days to appeal against the order

Helen Guest, presenting the case on behalf of the NMC, said the Ms Appice's failure to identify the patient correctly and to put things right when she realised her mistake was compounded by her dishonesty about administering CPR. ‘Ms Appice’s failings fell far short of the expected standard of registered nurses and consequently amounted to serious misconduct,’ she said.

In deciding to strike her off the register, the panel took note of the fact that Ms Appice, who did not attend the hearing, had previously received a five-year caution for dishonesty in 2012.

The panel accepted Ms Guest’s argument that there had been ‘no evidence of any real insight, remorse or remediation on Ms Appice’s behalf’.

A statement from the nursing home said the nurse involved was at fault in the incident, not the home.

Ms Appice has 28 days to appeal against the striking-off order. Until then, an interim suspension order will be in place.


Find out more

NMC Fitness to Practise hearing documents: Rosaline Appice


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