A MALE nurse who had sexual contact with an elderly nursing home resident has been struck off for professional misconduct.
Two superiors at the nursing home where nurse Stuart William Cummings worked – proprietor Ann Teresa Connolly and matron Emelina Makinano Navale – have also been stuck off the nursing register.
The An Bord Altranais Fitness to Practise Committee found Mr Cummings, who worked as a staff nurse at an unnamed nursing home between February 1st and July 31st, 2005, regularly kissed and hugged residents. He had inappropriate physical contact with one of them by lying in or on her bed, the committee found.
On one occasion the resident, called Ms X, was naked while he lay beside her, and on another she was naked and he had his trousers lowered. On a third occasion, Mr Cummings had inappropriate “physical and/or sexual contact” with Ms X, the committee found.
He was found to have been absent from duties for prolonged periods, to have come on duty under the influence of alcohol and to have drunk alcohol on one or more occasions while on duty.
After his dismissal he failed to tell later employers why he was unemployed or about his “drink problem”, the committee found.
It found Ms Connolly failed to respond or take appropriate action when other staff members complained about Mr Cummings.
She did not investigate or record the allegations or report them to gardaí, the Health Service Executive, An Bord Altranais and/or Ms X’s GP. Ms Connolly failed to tell Ms X’s family what had happened, and did not have the resident medically examined. She also continued to allow Mr Cummings work at the home.
Ms Navale failed to “manage, monitor, supervise and or control” nursing staff under her supervision. When other staff raised concerns about Mr Cummings’s behaviour, she failed to take appropriate steps to protect residents or to report the allegations.
