Nigerian-Australian Registered Nurse Loses Licence After Falling Asleep During Shifts with 100 Patients
A 25-year-old Nigerian-born registered nurse has had her registration cancelled in Australia following a tribunal finding that she repeatedly fell asleep on night duty at an aged care facility, placing vulnerable patients at significant risk.
Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, who migrated from Nigeria to Australia in 2018 and earned her Bachelor of Nursing Science from the University of the Sunshine Coast in 2021, was working at Hardi Aged Care in Guildford, western Sydney. She commenced employment there in February 2024 and was the only registered nurse on night shifts, tasked with supervising three to four assistants-in-nursing and ensuring the safety and care of approximately 100 elderly residents.
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The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) heard that, between 13 and 27 March 2024, Ms Okembunachi was asleep during six separate night shifts, frequently in the nurses’ station. On at least three occasions, this resulted in patients not receiving prescribed regular medication, including doses of morphine. In one documented case on the night of 21-22 March, an assistant-in-nursing switched on the light in the nurses’ station to rouse her, but she turned it off and continued sleeping shortly afterwards.
Additional evidence included an incident on 15 March 2024, when she directed an unauthorised assistant-in-nursing to administer Panadol to a resident experiencing foot pain. When the assistant noted they were not permitted to dispense medication, Ms Okembunachi responded: “It’s okay sister, just give it to him.”
Concerns were formally raised by colleagues on 27 March 2024. The next day, she was sent a suspension notice and invited to a meeting, but resigned within about 20 minutes and did not attend.
Following a complaint to the Health Care Complaints Commission, proceedings were brought before NCAT. In its decision delivered in January 2026, the tribunal determined that her conduct amounted to professional misconduct. The panel concluded that her actions “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients under her care” and that “any order short of deregistration would be an inadequate response to the seriousness of the practitioner’s misconduct.”
Ms Okembunachi expressed genuine remorse during the hearing, taking full responsibility and describing the events as a “huge lesson”. She cited contributing personal stressors: ongoing migraines, concurrent graduate studies in medicine at Western Sydney University (including failing a mid-year anatomy exam and taking leave), and family financial pressures related to her younger sister’s scoliosis surgery, which reportedly cost her father around $60,000.
She told the tribunal: “When I slept on night shift, I failed in supervising those staff members and the residents… I was also being paid to work, not sleep.” She accepted that her circumstances had compromised her judgement and that she should not have taken on the role given the demands of night shifts.
The tribunal acknowledged her candour, contrition, absence of previous complaints, and current circumstances—she has not practised nursing since suspension and is supported by family and Centrelink while pursuing medical studies—but stressed the overriding need to protect public safety in aged care settings.
Her registration has been cancelled, with a minimum nine-month prohibition on applying for review. This outcome highlights the stringent expectations placed on registered nurses, especially in sole-charge roles involving high-dependency patients during unsocial hours.
From a professional perspective, such cases reinforce the importance of self-assessment, workload boundaries, and timely disclosure of health or personal challenges that may impair performance. Regulatory bodies like the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and AHPRA prioritise patient safety above all, and nurses facing burnout, stress, or competing commitments are encouraged to seek support through employer wellness programmes, peer networks, or professional bodies before risks materialise.
Fellow Nurses Africa remains committed to advocating for better workplace protections, mental health resources, and realistic rostering in nursing to prevent avoidable incidents and support the global nursing workforce.
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