SIXTY-SEVEN complaints of alleged professional misconduct were made against nurses to their regulatory body in 2009, according to the latest annual report from An Bord Altranais. This was down from 75 the previous year.
Following 18 fitness to practise inquiries, some 12 nurses were found guilty of professional misconduct and six were stuck off the register.
In 2008, a total of 31 inquiries were held and 25 nurses were found guilty of professional misconduct.
In 41 of the 67 cases where complaints were made against nurses in 2009, the regulatory body decided to hold a fitness to practise inquiry, with the remaining 26 cases deemed to not warrant an inquiry. Some of these inquiries were continuing into 2010.
The report shows the number of complaints lodged against nurses over the three years to 2009 has been significantly higher than in earlier years, with 42 and 45 complaints lodged in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
An Bord Altranais believes this increase may be influenced by the public’s rising expectations with regard to standards of care and behaviour.
The organisation also cited the public’s greater awareness of the fitness to practise referral process “possibly because of some high profile fitness to practise cases in other health professions” as a reason for the increased number of complaints.
Allegations made against nurses in 2009 included poor medication management, theft and self-administration of drugs, attending work while under the influence of alcohol, physical and verbal abuse of patients, forging of colleagues’ signatures, failure to provide an appropriate standard of nursing care and incompetence.
Applications for a fitness to practise inquiry may be on the grounds of alleged professional misconduct or unfitness to engage in nursing by reason of physical or mental disability.
An Bord Altranais said the cost of processing fitness to practise cases was significant and continued to be monitored.
It added that the number of registered nurses subject to a complaint remained low as a percentage of the total number of nurses on the register. In 2009, it equated to 0.1 per cent of the more than 68,000 nurses on the active register.
Meanwhile, the report notes a significant fall-off in applications from non-EU nurses who want to register to work here, probably because of the moratorium on recruitment.
In 2009, the nursing board received 2,670 applications for registration compared with 3,851 applications in 2008. Of this, the number of applications from non-EU applicants dropped from 845 in 2008 to 302 in 2009.