A FORMER Amesbury care home nurse who fell asleep while on duty, shouted at colleagues and failed to answer a resident’s call bell has been given a caution.

Onohomen Odigie was working night shifts as a registered nurse at Camelot Care Home, Countess Road between November 2007 and June 2011 when the incidents took place. She appeared before the Nursing & Midwifery Council’s conduct and competence committee last Tuesday to answer charges of misconduct.

The committee heard from the home’s housekeeper Maxine Mason that her morning routine included helping give breakfast to the residents. She said on November 8, 2007 she saw Ms Odigie sitting in the nurses’ office at about 6.45am with her head down, chin resting on her chest and arms folded on the desk. She walked past the office multiple times between 6.45am and 7.30am, delivering breakfast from the kitchen to residents and Ms Odigie did not move from that position during that time.

Ms Odigie insisted she was not asleep but the panel did not believe her evidence.

She was also charged with shouting at two care assistants while on shift on December 31, 2010, which Ms Odigie admitted, and not answering a resident’s call bell.

Senior carer Sally Mayer said she arrived early for her shift on March 3, 2011 and heard a patient’s emergency bell ringing, which was loud enough to be heard throughout the building. She assumed when she saw Ms Odigie walking towards her that she was going to answer the bell. Instead she walked past the room where it had been pressed, looking briefly inside before carrying on.

Mrs Mayer told the panel when someone pushes a bell it rings loudly for about two minutes then changes tone and goes onto emergency mode if it is not answered.

The emergency mode was already on when she entered the home, indicating it had already been ringing for a few minutes, and continued ringing for about five minutes after she entered.

The panel found that Ms Odigie’s fitness to practise had been impaired by her misconduct. They said her behaviour was “unacceptable and needed to be marked as completely inappropriate”. They imposed a caution order for one year, which means any employers can be made aware of the misconduct charges.

Another charge of not properly administering medication was dropped due to lack of evidence Camelot Care Home refused to comment, but Ms Odigie has not worked for the home since June last year.

• The Journal reported in May that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said in a damning report that residents were not being adequately cared for or protected at Camelot Care Home in Amesbury. The CQC raised concerns about cleanliness, training and how residents were treated. The home was inspected again in June to make sure improvements had been made and is now meeting all standards.