Care Home Nurse Cautioned By Regulator After Using A Female Catheter On A Male Resident, UK

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 13 Dec 2007 - 5:00 PDT

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A 48 year old Register Nurse (Adult) from Kirkcaldy, Fife received a 3 year Caution Order from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) after she admitted to carrying out a procedure without having the correct training.

Ms Rosemary Arvesu was given the Caution Order for a period of 3 years by an independent panel of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Conduct and Competence Committee in Edinburgh on 10 December 2007.

Ms Arvesu was employed at Canmore Lodge Care Home in Dunfermline, Fife when she was charged with attempting to catheterise a male resident without the required training.

The independent panel heard evidence which proved that Ms Arvesu had not been instructed to carry out the procedure, had failed to use the appropriate technique and that she used the wrong equipment, in particular she used a female length catheter.

Commenting on the outcome of the hearing, NMC spokesperson Leila Harris said,

"The independent panel decided that a Caution Order for a period of 3 years was the appropriate sanction having heard the evidence that proved the charges before it. The NMC Code of Professional Conduct makes it clear that nurses are professionally and personally accountable for their practice. They are answerable for their actions and omissions regardless of advice or directions from another professional.

On reaching its decision, the independent panel took into account the early admission of facts and acknowledged that this was an isolated incident, which was not deliberate. They were satisfied that the incident has not since been repeated and that Ms Arvesu has taken appropriate steps to address her failings by undertaking a recatheterisation course."

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the UK regulator for two professions, nursing and midwifery. The primary purpose of the NMC is protection of the public. It does this through maintaining a register of all nurses, midwives and specialist community public health nurses eligible to practise within the UK and by setting standards for their education, training and conduct. Currently the number of registrants exceeds 682,000. The Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001 (The Order), sets out the NMC's role and responsibilities.

The independent panel is selected from a pool of individuals appointed by the Appointments Board. They come from a variety of backgrounds and are not NMC Council members, nor do they sit on any committee of the Council.

Nursing and Midwifery Council