January 24, 2026 | SUNTV Global Channel | Australia
A Nigerian-born nurse, Chimzuruoke Okembunachi, has been stripped of her nursing licence in Australia after a tribunal found that she repeatedly slept while on night duty at an aged care facility, placing vulnerable elderly residents at serious risk.
The New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) on January 20, 2026, ruled that Okembunachi’s actions amounted to professional misconduct, leading to the cancellation of her registration as a nurse.
Tribunal records show that the incidents occurred in March 2024 at Hardi Aged Care (HAC) facility in Guildford, western Sydney, where Okembunachi had only recently commenced employment in February of that year.
At just 25 years old, she was frequently rostered as the sole registered nurse on night shifts, supervising three to four assistants-in-nursing (AINs) while being responsible for the care of nearly 100 residents.
Evidence presented before the tribunal revealed that on at least six occasions between March 13 and March 27, Okembunachi fell asleep while on duty, failing to carry out essential clinical and supervisory responsibilities. As a result, three residents missed prescribed doses of morphine, a lapse the tribunal described as potentially life-threatening.
In one incident on the night of March 21–22, an assistant reportedly attempted to wake her by switching on the light at the nurses’ station. Moments later, she was said to have turned the light off and resumed sleeping.
On another occasion, she allegedly instructed an unauthorised assistant-in-nursing to administer medication to a resident, telling the staff member, “It’s okay, sister, just give it to him,” despite the assistant lacking the legal authority to do so.
Her conduct was eventually reported by two fellow nurses on March 27. The following day, Okembunachi received an email informing her of her suspension and inviting her to attend a disciplinary meeting. She resigned within 20 minutes of receiving the email and declined to attend the meeting.
Born in Nigeria, Okembunachi migrated to Australia in 2018, earned a Bachelor of Nursing Science in 2021, and was, at the time of the incidents, studying medicine at Western Sydney University while working night shifts at the facility.
During tribunal proceedings, she admitted responsibility for her actions, citing stress and poor judgment.
“In hindsight, I should not have applied for or accepted the position at Hardi,” she told the tribunal.
“Working night shifts during the week was putting patients’ safety at risk.”
She further acknowledged that by sleeping on duty, she failed in her obligation to supervise staff and protect residents under her care.
While the tribunal noted that Okembunachi appeared “remorseful and contrite,” it ruled that deregistration was necessary in the interest of public safety, stressing that her conduct “had the potential to endanger the lives of patients.”
Under the ruling, she is barred from reapplying for registration for at least nine months. She has since exited the nursing profession but continues her medical studies, supported by her father and Australia’s Centrelink Student Allowance.
