Posted 29 September 2021 - 14:02
Posted 29 September 2021 - 14:02
News
Struck off: nurse who tried to cover up incident that left patient with head injury
Glenda Grafton was aggressive to patient, and her dishonesty was of the ‘most serious kind’
Glenda Grafton displayed aggression to patient and the ‘most serious kind of dishonesty’ – yet NMC found she lacked remorse
A nurse who caused serious harm to a care home resident by failing to move him properly and putting pressure on a colleague to cover up the incident has been struck off.
Glenda Grafton also failed to undertake necessary observations or call an ambulance when the man fell, sustaining a head injury during the incident at The Croft nursing home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
When she discovered the severity of the resident’s injury, which was not documented, she called and sent text messages repeatedly to a healthcare assistant colleague, urging them to cover for her.
Conduct incompatible with nurse registration
In striking her from the nursing register, the Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practise panel said: ‘The registrant’s dishonesty is the most serious kind and her conduct is fundamentally incompatible with remaining on the register.’
The panel heard how during a nightshift in September 2018 Ms Grafton responded to an alarm call activated from the room of a resident who required continence care.
She then moved the resident by herself to change his bed sheets, ignoring his care plan, which stated she should have used a hoist or called for assistance. While being moved, the man fell to the floor and sustained injuries to his head and elbow.
Nurse was rough and aggressive with resident, HCA said
The HCA who subsequently came to help reported Ms Grafton was rough and aggressive with the resident, checking him over in a superficial manner and giving him continence care on the floor.
She did not carry out observations, record the incident or report it in the shift handover.
A large wound was found on the man’s head by two HCAs the following morning and appropriate examinations were undertaken by nursing staff.
Ms Grafton, a nurse for more than 40 years who started working at the home in 2001, admitted all the concerns during an investigation. But the FtP panel said she showed a lack of resource, insight or remediation.
She has 28 days to appeal against the decision from the date of the hearing on 17 September.
Further information
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