Nurse faces hearing over cancer blunder

A NURSE accused of leaving a patient “distressed” after wrongly telling him he had cancer will face a hearing next month.

Ellen Agnes Murray, a nurse at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, is also accused of bringing an insect into an operating theatre.

The patient had only been told cancer was a possibility, but in February 2008 Ms Murray noted in his records he had the condition, it is claimed.

She will face a hearing of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) on 10 September, where she could be struck off if it is found she committed serious misconduct.

The NMC has brought 23 charges of misconduct against Ms Murray, relating to incidents between April 2007 and June 2008 when she was a nurse and a nursing auxiliary.

The NMC charges tell Ms Murray: “On or around 7 February, 2008, you documented in patient H’s records that he had cancer, although the patient had only been told this was a possibility, causing distress to the patient.”

She is also accused of administering the wrong drug to a patient, administering drugs to patients too early, and giving patient I fluids with the wrong concentration of potassium.

The saline solution had 20mmol (milimole) of potassium when only 10mmol was prescribed, it is claimed.

In March, 2008, Ms Murray also removed a catheter from a patient despite being told not to do so, the NMC says.

She is also charged with “bringing an insect into theatre on one date during this period” and “contaminating a crate required for theatre on more than one occasion”.

It is said she failed to show “the standard of knowledge, skills and judgment required” with regards to infection control by doing so.