A nurse who assaulted a female colleague at University Hospital Galway with a syringe filled with a strong sedative has been found guilty of professional misconduct.
The nurse, Kofi Kyeremateng Kankam (53), also had several allegations of professional misconduct proven against him in relation to the care of an older man in the same hospital where he failed to observe basic warning signs that the patient’s condition was deteriorating.
Evidence was heard from an expert witness that the patient was displaying “severe sepsis” with a high risk of mortality and that Mr Kankam’s failure to monitor the patient had prevented the man from receiving “time-critical interventions.”
A fitness-to-practise inquiry held by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland also found that Mr Kankam had claimed money from a nursing agency for working shifts at UHG over two and a half months at a time when he was employed as a full-time staff member by the HSE.
The chairperson of the NMBI’s Fitness to Practise Committee, Muireann Ní Shúilleabháin issued a ruling on Thursday which found Mr Kankam guilty on eight different allegations of professional misconduct.
They included that the nurse had attacked a colleague with a syringe filled with haloperidol while working at UHG on February 5th, 2017 and a related criminal conviction for assault handed down at Galway Circuit Criminal Court in February 2019.
The investigating garda, Nigel Silke, gave evidence during a four-day inquiry that Mr Kankam claimed his actions were “a prank that went wrong.”
Ms Ní Shúilleabháin said the nurse’s actions in relation to the assault and subsequent conviction were disgraceful.
She said Ms Kankam had been extremely reckless with his actions having “serious harmful consequences” for his victim.
The inquiry heard she was off work for three weeks following the unprovoked attack but found she was struggling to eat and sleep and suffered ongoing trauma.
The nurse told the hearing that she decided she could no longer work in the same unit and was granted a transfer to another hospital.
Mr Kankam, who had an address in Athenry, Co Galway, did not participate in the inquiry and was not legally represented during the hearings.
The committee also found four allegations proven against Mr Kankam over his care to an elderly patient in UHG on November 6th, 2016.
They included that he put the patient at risk by failing to act appropriately when the patient had abnormal oxygen saturation levels.
The inquiry heard the patient had shown signs of acute multi-organ dysfunction but Mr Kankam had failed to consult with other medical staff to review his condition.
Ms Ní Shúilleabháin said the nurse’s conduct represented a serious falling short of the standards of competence expected of a registered nurse.
However, two other allegations relating to the care of the elderly patient were found not proven due to insufficient evidence on the overall management plan for the patient in question.
Ms Ní Shúilleabháin said the findings in relation to double payments of salary for dates between December 13th, 2015, and February 28th, 2016, amounted to dishonesty by the nurse.
The inquiry heard evidence that when confronted about the issue, Mr Kankam had denied that he had been paid twice for working the same shifts.
The committee found that several of the proven allegations also constituted breaches of the NMBI’s Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics.
It did not disclose its recommended sanction which will be a decision for the NMBI board.
