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Two intimidating nurses who attacked colleagues and patients at a hospital and even told a suicidal person to “keep going, you might as well do it” have been struck off.
Alicia Andrews, 35, and Tabitha Williams, 42, were banned from work after creating an “intimidating, hostile, degrading and humiliating environment” in their department.
Their behavior was so bad that student nurses reported the pair to Bangor University after witnessing the poor care provided to patients at Llandudno General Hospital, North Wales.
A student nurse said Ms Andrews would “basically encourage” the patient expressing suicidal thoughts to take their own life – and Ms Williams would “laugh at it”, a hearing heard.
Other student nurses recalled that Ms. Andrews would be sarcastic and hostile toward patients, while Ms. Williams would make student nurses “very uncomfortable” and ignored.
The nurses worked at Llandudno General Hospitalin, North Wales (pictured)
A student nurse said Ms Williams and Ms Andrews would ask her to do all blood sugar observations – after just three weeks on the ward.
Andrews would also allow a student nurse to observe patients’ blood sugar levels, with her own login information, even if the student is not trained.
She also let a student nurse monitor the electrocardiogram of a patient “in distress” unsupervised.
Student nurses said they left “angry” and “shocked” by their behavior on the ward.
Another student recalled Ms Andrews saying of another patient: “I wouldn’t worry, he’ll be RIP soon” in a “sarcastic” and “very cold” manner.
A witness also told the hearing that Ms Williams told a dementia patient, who often cried loudly, to “stop it”, “shut up” and “give him some rest”.
Speaking about the duo, one of the student nurses said: “Often I would hear them talking about the other student nurses on the ward, saying they were not good or couldn’t do certain things.
“I just keep to myself and I’ll keep going.”
Another student nurse added: “The way they treated some of their fellow nurses was also horrible. I remember, one of them was redeployed to the ward as a supernumerary, but the way they treated her was disgraceful.
“She was often ignored and treated as incompetent. They did not support her in tasks she sometimes needed help with and made fun of her behind her back.
Ms Andrews, who started working on the ward in February 2020, told a patient expressing suicidal thoughts words such as: “Come on, you might as well do it” and laughed.
She also said words to a patient such as: “Your breath stinks” and said of one patient: “I wouldn’t worry, he’ll be RIP soon.”
Ms Williams, who started working on the ward in March 2018 and was promoted to deputy manager of the ward in February 2021, told one patient words such as: “She’s rotting from the inside”.
She also told a patient words such as “stop being dramatic” and “stop making that noise”, and did not monitor them when they were passing bile. She also told a patient words such as “stop it,” “shut up,” or “give him some rest.”
The conduct of the two nurses was a “significant departure from expected standards” and “fundamentally inconsistent” with the maintenance of the NMC register.
The two nurses were referred to the NMC after allegations that they had exhibited “bullying and intimidating behavior” towards colleagues over a nine-month period, particularly towards student nurses.
Alicia Andrews and Tabitha Williams have been given deregistration orders following a series of hearings by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) fitness to practice committee.
The panel said: “The actions of Ms Williams and Ms Andrews created and contributed to an intimidating, hostile, degrading and humiliating environment for student nurses and staff on the ward.
“The environment created by Ms. Williams and Ms. Andrews has extended to patients as well.”
For help, call Samaritans free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
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