TWENTY-FIVE nurses were found guilty of professional misconduct last year, according to latest figures from An Bord Altranais, the regulatory body for the nursing profession.
In nine cases the nurses found guilty were struck off the nurses’ register, in a further three cases nurses were suspended from the register, in 10 cases nurses were censured or had conditions attached to their registration or both, and in three cases nurses were reprimanded.
The figures were circulated at a board meeting of An Bord Altranais yesterday, which now holds its meetings in public.
Complaints in relation to clinical practice, competence, behaviour and drug and alcohol abuse had led to the nurses being found guilty of professional misconduct.
A report circulated at the meeting noted the increasing number of applications for inquiries into the fitness to practise of nurses. Last year there were 75 such applications compared to 29 a decade earlier.
“This is in line with trends internationally in relation to all healthcare professionals. This must also be set in the context of a continual increase in the number of individuals on the register,” the report said.
The number of nurses who were the subject of an application for inquiry equated to 0.1 per cent of those on the active nurses’ register. There are more than 68,000 nurses on the active register.
“The increased number of applications may be influenced by increasing public expectations with regard to standards of care and behaviour and greater public awareness of the fitness-to-practise referral process, possibly because of some high-profile fitness to practise cases in other health professions.
“In addition, there would appear to be increased awareness of responsibilities in relation to public protection amongst nurse/midwife and other health managers, particularly if the nurse/midwife who is the subject of the application has left their employment,” the report added.
Meanwhile, the nursing board decided yesterday to scrap the interview process for mature applicants for the nursing degree programme from 2011. Instead they will do a job simulation exercise which is expected to better test communication and interpersonal skills. More than 300 of the more than 1,500 nursing places are set aside each year for mature students. The idea of having a job simulation exercise for all other applicants for nursing courses in the future is also to be looked at, to ensure equity for all.
The meeting also heard there was a very significant downturn in the number of EU and non-EU nurses applying to register in Ireland in the last three months of 2008, probably due to the shortage of jobs. Furthermore many Irish-trained nurses applying to register for the first time are also seeking to register in the UK, which may be an indication of their plans to emigrate.