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Nurse faces charges over patient misconduct

The NMC dismissed Ms. Garnett in 2008 after discovering her unprofessional behaviour

A CARE home nurse is facing 40 charges of alleged abuse of elderly residents and misconduct.

Badarmaine Garnett, 67, is alleged to have stripped a patient in full view of another resident, encouraging him to taunt and laugh at the undressed man, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

She is also alleged to have allowed a resident to put his hands down her top and touch her bottom, and to have slapped a resident whose nightdress she put on so her arms couldn’t move.

The NMC, the nursing regulator, claims the abuse took place between 1 February 2008 and 1 May 2008 while she was employed as a nurse at Sunnybank nursing home in Peterhead, Aberdeen.

NMC papers state that she “treated Resident E in an inappropriate manner on a number of occasions in that [Ms Garnett]… between 6 and 10 March 2008… got him undressed and ready for bed downstairs, undressed him in front of Resident F, encouraged Resident F to laugh and taunt him.”

Another charge says she told resident E to “bugger off”.

She is alleged to have got Resident E undressed and ready for bed ‘downstairs’ on several occasions, and to have put his pyjamas on back to front.

When she put him in a chair without a cushion, she said “that will stop him getting up,” or words to that effect, the charges say.

Further charges state: “On a number of occasions you allowed Resident F to a) Put his hand down your top. b) touch your bottom.”

On a number of occasions she trapped a female resident’s arms inside her nightdress and slapped her, it is claimed.

The charges also accuse Ms Garnett,of Peterhead, Aberdeen, of sleeping while on duty on 20 February 2008 and on several other occasions.

They also say she threatened a care assistant at the home, telling them not to get her into trouble or she would take revenge.

“I will get you back”

The papers claim she told the care assistant, identified only as NE: “If I get into trouble on my shift I will hold you personally responsible, I will get you back,” or words to that effect.

An interim order from the NMC says she cannot work on night shifts until her case is heard.

Issued in March this year, the strict conditions say she must work under ‘arms length supervision’ from another nurse.

She must inform any new employers of the conditions she has to work under, the order says.

The NMC document says: “The panel considers these to be a broad spectrum of serious allegations of inappropriate management of patient care and medicine administration which if proven, would represent a serious departure from expected professional standards.”

The 30-person care home specialises in cancer care as well as care of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Ms Garnet will face a hearing in January this year, where she could be stuck off if found guilty of misconduct.

A spokesman for the home confirmed she was dismissed in 2008.

The care home is run by Meallmore Ltd, which operates 20 care homes around Scotland.

Morag Whyte, area manager of Meallmore Ltd was reported as saying: “We are unable to report in individual cases while an NMC investigation is ongoing, however the safety of residents is paramount to everything we do.”

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