A NURSE was so drunk on duty, she had to be carted off to her own A&E department, a hearing has been told. Sheila Fletcher brought a box of wine to work at Hull Royal Infirmary and did not notice she had cut herself when she smashed a bottle of medicine.
She was prevented from administering drugs to unsuspecting patients at 8am after a colleague noticed she was behaving unusually.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council heard Mrs Fletcher went to work on May 15, 2011, after drinking at home.
She told the ward sister that her arm felt tingly and that her head was "not right".
An auxiliary nurse then reported that Mrs Fletcher has been seen in the toilet on her hands and knees, clearing up pink fluid and broken glass.
The panel heard that she was so drunk, she had not noticed her finger was bleeding where she had cut it.
It was only later that a nurse noticed that a diabetic man had not received any insulin and was suffering from high blood sugar levels.
When Mrs Fletcher's husband visited her later in A&E, he confirmed she had been drinking at home.
The hearing heard that, on another occasion, Mrs Fletcher had failed to give drugs to a patient.
At a disciplinary hearing in February last year, Mrs Fletcher admitted taking a box of wine to work and had a bottle of wine in her locker.
"I remember covering up the box of wine I had in my bag with my cardigan while in the lift.
Rachel O'Connell, chairing the NMC panel, said: "Having no information in relation to Mrs Fletcher's current employment or any information about her current personal circumstances, the panel could not be satisfied that she is no longer liable to put patients at unwarranted risk of harm or unlikely to act dishonestly in the future.
"Mrs Fletcher's actions and omissions represent a serious departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse.
"Her actions caused actual harm to her patients."
Ms O'Connell concluded nothing short of striking off Mrs Fletcher would maintain public confidence in the profession.
The panel found allegations that Fletcher attended work under the influence of alcohol and that she brought alcohol to work with her had been proved.
They also found the nurse guilty of failing to test the blood sugar levels of a patient, failing to provide him with insulin and failing to document her errors.
Allegations that she dishonestly forged the medication card for the patient were found not proven.
Fletcher faced further allegations relating to her conduct in November 2010 when she was accused of failing to prescribe drugs to a patient and then falsifying records the following day. The panel also found these allegations against her proved.
Fletcher, who was not present or represented at the hearing in central London, was struck off the register.
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