A NURSE narrowly avoided being struck off over a series of medical blunders at a Thundersley care home.

Theresa Byrne, who worked at Godden Lodge Residential and Nursing Home, in Hart Road, was sacked following a string of errors between February and May 2012.

At a three-day Nursing and Midwifery Council conduct and competence hearing, Ms Byrne admitted four charges of misconduct which put three patients at “significant risk of harm”.

An internal investigation by the Bupa-run care home found, on May 23 2012, Ms Byrne incorrectly gave a patient, identified as Resident B, Adcal D3 and Bendroflumethiazide.

The hearing heard on May 18 Ms Byrne retrospectively falsified a patient’s records to include a new diet plan which she knew about on May 11.

On a night shift on February 23, 2012, Ms Byrne also admitted failing to properly document injuries suffered by Resident D, after they had collapsed.

A further charge of failing to prevent two care assistants moving a resident without the use of a standing aid was dropped.

Her behaviour was referred to the council after senior staff at the care home were concerned Ms Byrne had failed to recognise the seriousness of her actions.

The hearing was told during a disciplinary meeting in April 2012, Ms Byrne seemed to view her failure to properly record a patient’s fall on February 23 as a “minor thing”, appearing “disengaged”

and “nonchalant”.

The panel found three of the five charges amounted to misconduct and this impaired her fitness to practice.

The report said: “The panel noted you failed to carry out a number of your duties required in your role as a registered nurse. As a result you put patients at significant risk of harm.

Accordingly, the panel concluded your actions and omissions bought the nursing profession into disrepute.

“In light of all the circumstances, the panel has concluded a conditions of practice order would be the appropriate and proportionate sanction, to ensure the public and wider public interest are adequately protected.”

Ms Byrne has been given a condition of practice order monitoring her conduct over the next 12 months.

A spokesman for Godden Lodge Nursing Home said: “Our residents’ welfare is always our number one priority.

“Nurse Byrne was suspended and dismissed two years ago, following an internal review and we referred her to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for its consideration.”