Five nurses struck off nursing register for misconduct

Five nurses have been struck off the register for professional misconduct after the High Court confirmed disciplinary decisions made by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

Nurse Nichola Kilfeather was struck off after it was found she has misappropriated a total of between €1,500 and €15,000 in money owned by service users.

Ms Kilfeather breached the trust placed in her by the service user at the unit where she worked through her actions on dates between August 2009 and May 2010, the board ruled.

The High Court last month confirmed the decision of the board to strike off Gina Martinez Manongas for professional misconduct. No further details were provided in this case.

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The Court also confirmed the board’s decision to cancel the registration of John De Lara, a former staff nurse at the Royal Hospital Donnybrook.

Mr De Lara was found guilty of six counts of professional misconduct in relation to the possession of crystal meth, or ordering Sudafed using the name of colleagues and of failing to inform his employer that he was under Garda investigation.

Withdrew appeal

He appealed this decision of the board to the High Court but withdrew his appeal at the start of the hearing. Costs were awarded against him.

Patrick Stephen Farrell, a former psychiatric staff nurse at the Central Mental Hospital in Dublin, was struck off after being found guilty on four counts of professional misconduct.

Mr Farrell, who worked at the hospital for 10 years up to 2014, was found to have failed to deposit patients’ monies, ranging from €10 to €50, in the hospital safe.

Mary Teresa McHugh, a former staff nurse at Louth County Hospital, was struck off after being found guilty of professional misconduct.

Ms McHugh was found to have requisitioned sleeping tablets and anti-depressants in circumstances where she knew that they were not needed by patients.

Mary Frances Nielsen was censured and had a condition attached to the retention of her name on the nurses' register after being found guilty of professional misconduct.

Ms Nielsen, an aesthetic nurse, was alleged to have supplied prescription-only Botox treatment to a patient without a prescription.

An advice and conditions were imposed on Allan Lasam Sanchez, a nurse who was found guilty of poor professional performance.

Mr Sanchez faced allegations over the care of an 86-year-old resident of Carysfort nursing home in Dublin in July 2013. It was found he failed to provide adequate care to an elderly woman with dementia after she suffered a fall.

Mary Josephine Doyle was censured and a condition was attached to her registration after she was found guilty of professional misconduct and non-compliance with the code of professional conduct.