Nurse at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital sacked after patient record blunder
A nurse was sacked after failing to make crucial records about a patient with an inflamed pancreas who died two days later, a hearing has heard.
Anna Read was working at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital when the blunders were made.
She was supposed to check the patient's blood pressure, pulse and temperature, among others, but failed to make records of any observations made.
When a colleague took over from Ms Read on the next shift, she upgraded the seriousness of the man's condition and he was rushed to intensive care.
He died two days later.
Ms Read was demoted and later suspended and sacked, after missing two days of work and turning up for one shift three hours late in a 'distressed and dishevelled' condition before being sent home.
A hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) heard that Ms Read, who now works as assistant manager at Conifers Nursing Home in Great Wyrley, also didn't make records of the patient's oxygen saturations or respirations.
She had worked at New Cross Hospital for nine years prior to the incident, which happened in April 2011 and was working on the surgical ward as a band six nurse.
A report of the NMC hearing said: "Observations are recorded on Vital Pac, which is the electronic recording system, with urine output recorded on fluid balance sheets.
"Read failed to record the observations carried out on Patient A on Vital Pac.
"She also failed to escalate his condition to the house officer or senior officer, despite placing him on 15 litres of oxygen due to his saturation levels registering at 85 per cent."
When Ms Read handed over the care of the patient to another staff nurse, she found him to be 'agitated' and restless' and made observations on Vital Pac.
He was soon transferred to intensive care, where he passed away two days later.
Ms Read was demoted but further incidents caused concern for staff. On one day she failed to turn up for work, later saying she had written down the wrong day.
Two months later she again didn't show up for a shift, telling bosses she was too upset as she had been mugged.
She later failed to attend a clinical skills study day and, following an internal investigation into her conduct, she was sacked.
A statement was submitted by Ms Read in which she said she was 'truly sorry'.
The NMC panel judged that she be given a conditions of practice order for 12 months and an interim conditions of practice order for 18 months.
