Nurse twists dementia patient's ear
A nurse who twisted a dementia patient's ear at a Great Southern nursing home then assaulted a colleague who tried to intervene has had his registration suspended.
Michael John Cummins was ordered to have anger management counselling after the incident at Kerry Lodge in Katanning in June last year.
He admitted to professional misconduct at two country nursing homes by assaulting two people, failing to give medication and falsifying medical records.
The State Administrative Tribunal suspended the enrolled nurse for 16 months and ordered him to pay $2600 in costs. The tribunal said he grabbed a dementia patient's leg and twisted her ear.
When a patient care assistant tried to stop him, Mr Cummins twisted the assistant's arm behind her and pushed it up.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in March and was given a suspended imprisonment order and an intensive supervision order.
Mr Cummins was employed by Mediserve Nursing Agency and worked at Karlarra House in South Hedland before moving to Kerry Lodge.
While he was at Karlarra House he failed to give a patient charted medication and made a false entry in their medical records.
He also failed to give patients their medication, made false entries in medical records and gave someone drugs at the wrong time after moving to Kerry Lodge.
Mr Cummins told the tribunal he had worked on an unfamiliar, busy and understaffed aged-care ward.
He said at one point he was solely responsible for administering and documenting medication for almost 30 patients.
In its decision, the tribunal said Mr Cummins had pleaded guilty to professional misconduct and had had anger counselling.
"The respondent has had an unblemished nursing career prior to this incident," it said. "The respondent has expressed remorse."
Mr Cummins was ordered to complete training in medication administration and documentation before he could return to practice.
'The respondent has had an unblemished nursing career prior to this incident.' " *State Administrative Tribunal *
