A NURSE who gave care home residents “grotesque” nicknames such as “crap” and “fag ash” has been struck off.
Susan Helen Sharp also slapped an elderly woman at Lochbank Manor Care Home in Forfar, Angus and pushed another resident, saying: “I hate this little man.”
A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing last week found 11 charges against the nurse proved, including that she slept while on duty at the 40-bed care home.
The panel found Ms Sharp gave one elderly woman – named only as Resident – the nickname “crap” and said she was “always full of s***”.
The cruel nickname sounded similar to the resident’s real surname, said the panel.
An elderly man called Resident B was called an “old bugger” by Ms Sharp, who agreed with a colleague that he was a “horrible little man”.
She also said: “I hate this little man, I wish they had thrown him away at birth instead of his placenta”.
And it was found that she had pushed Resident B as he walked to the bathroom at the home.
Ms Sharp also shouted at Resident B, and another resident of the home, when they rang buzzers asking to go to the toilet.
Ms Sharp’s former colleagues at the care home, where she worked between June and October 2010, gave evidence at the hearing in Edinburgh
A care assistant at the home, Irene Morrison, said Ms Sharp slapped Resident A on the bottom loud enough for the sound to be heard throughout the room.
The NMC panel said: “It was not hard and [Ms Morrison] described it as similar to tapping a child on the hand for being naughty, but it was loud enough to be heard in the room and no marks were evident.”
The NMC’s case presenter, Nabeel Osman, said the language she used to describe residents was “grotesque” and said she was “both physically and verbally aggressive.”
Ms Sharp was neither present nor represented at the hearing.
In correspondence with the NMC, she admitted calling another resident “fag ash” but claimed this was “banter”.
She also admitted she had fallen asleep during a night shift.
Announcing its decision to strike Ms Sharp off, the panel said: “The abuse of elderly vulnerable residents is incompatible with remaining on the register.”
It continued: “Ms Sharp’s conduct was directed to certain residents and this is consistent with an attitudinal problem given that these residents appeared to be especially vulnerable.”
No-one was available for comment at Lochbank Manor Care Home.
Five charges against Ms Sharp, including that she said to a resident “you’re a horrible little f****** woman and nobody likes you” were found not proved.
This week the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Jim Martin warned the health service was failing to treat elderly patients with compassion and respect.
In a letter to Holyrood’s health committee , he said there was a culture of defensiveness among NHS bosses and a reluctance to accept criticism.
He highlighted problems with inadequate nutrition, falls, bed sores and staff ignoring patients’ wishes.
