An East Dunbartonshire nurse has been suspended for calling dementia patients derogatory names, swearing at them, and failing to properly assess them when they were injured.
Elizabeth Claire Mcallister, who has been working as a nurse for over 40 years, was reported for her behaviour while looking after dementia patients at Whitefield Lodge Care Home in Lennoxtown.
During a weekend in May 2020, she failed to read the care plan for a resident and moved them without a hoist or any other member of staff. When another resident suffered a fall and cut their head, she then failed to undertake any neurological observations or a full assessment of their condition.
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She then completed a report falsely stating that she had cleaned the wound and carried out the observations.
After another resident fell in their bathroom, she accused them of deliberately falling over as they liked the attention and failed to undertake an assessment before moving them, and failed to take continued observations throughout their shift.
While looking after the residents, she was heard calling them derogatory names such as 'witch', 'predator', 'lazy b*****d' and 'b****'. She 'screamed' at a resident that they were hurting her back and described another resident as 'lying in their own p*** and s***'.
It was also raised that she would often be overheard using 'derogatory' language about residents during handovers. The concerns were escalated to management but when they would observe her, she would 'change her language' and there was no direct evidence of the issues raised.
A referral was eventually made to the Nursing and Midwifery Council by the care home over the behaviour.
Their report outlines that Mrs Mcallister had worked as a general nurse between 1977 until 2000 when she began specialising in Learning Disabilities Nursing.
During her time at the Lennoxtown care home, she had routinely worked the night shift on a ward where residents mainly suffered from dementia.
On the night of the incidents, she was the sole registered nurse on the floor and was in a senior position to carers on duty with her.
After the issues were investigated by the panel, Mrs Mcallister provided two full admissions and signed a declaration to confirm that she was aware that this would be taken into account when the charges against her were considered.
They concluded that she had 'failed to demonstrate' respect and compassion for those she was looking after and had exposed them to a significant risk of unwarranted harm.
It was decided that she should be suspended from working a nurse for a period of 12 months.
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