Nurse taped patient ‘to keep him quiet’, hearing told

A nurse who placed tape over a patient’s mouth in a Sligo hospital has described what he did as “an act of stupidity”.

Bimbo Paden, a Filipino nurse at St John’s community hospital, told a fitness to practise hearing he didn’t realise the gravity of his action until afterwards.

Mr Paden's evidence on the third day of the fitness to practise hearing before the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland was adjourned briefly to allow the witness to regain his composure.

He faces three charges of professional misconduct in relation to events that took place on June 26th 2013. He accepts he is guilty of professional misconduct for placing the tape over the patient’s mouth.

Mr Paden is charged before the fitness to practise inquiry with having placed surgical tape over the mouth of a highly dependent patient in circumstances where he knew this to be inappropriate.

He is also charged with placing a sling under the patient without the assistance of a colleague, in breach of HSE lifting procedures.

Mr Paden accepts putting the tape over the patient’s mouth amounted to professional misconduct. He accepts the placing the sling under the patient was inappropriate and not in accordance with the care plan but does not accept it was professional misconduct.

He said he got on very well with the patient over the years. The patient was highly dependent and would continually shout things like “hello, hello, hello”.

Mr Paden said the noise didn’t bother him but it did bother an adjacent patient, who had advanced cancer and was a light sleeper. On the day in question, he said he promised this patient he would move the patient who was shouting to the recreation room.

Asked why he didn’t seek assistance of a colleague when handling the patient, he said he was “very focused” on getting him up because he was disturbing another patient.

He placed the tape on the patient’s mouth in “a moment of stupidity” and took it off when another nurse came back from her tea-break and saw it on the patient. He said he went back to the Philippines this summer to tell his elderly parents because he didn’t want to “hide this for the rest of my life”.

Mr Paden pleaded with the committee to be allowed to resume nursing, “the profession that I love”, and said he would abide by any conditions that were imposed on his work.

Éilis Carroll, a nursing consultant who compiled a report on the incident, said it was her view that Mr Paden’s placing of the sling under the patient amount to professional misconduct. His action put the patient at risk and failed to maintain his dignity. He should have sought assistance from a colleague, in accordance with guidelines.

Marie O’Grady, assistant director of nursing at the hospital, told the hearing she interviewed Mr Paden on the day of the incident in accordance with the HSE’s national policy where acts of alleged abuse occur.

Ms Grady said she didn’t have any concerns about staffing on the day of the incident. None of the patients was very sick and there hadn’t been any change in conditions.

Mr Paden has already faced criminal charges over the incident; last April in Sligo District Court, he was given the benefit of the Probation Act after pleading guilty to assault of a patient.

The hearing resumes on November 17th.