A SENIOR Glasgow hospice nurse ended a 20-year-old “unblemished career” with a lifetime ban after taking pain medication meant for terminally ill patients.
Wilma Dobbin, who worked at the Prince & Princess of Wales hospice, took Pregabalin from the drug room without permission on at least four occasions, an inquiry was told.
The drug is used to treat nerve pain and can also be administered to reduce anxiety.
The former nurse also lied about keeping a patient’s valuables in the hospice safe and stored them in her own drawer. No further details were given about the incident.
Ms Dobbin was employed at the hospice at its former base in Carlton Place at the time of the incidents, which happened in February and March 2017. She was sacked by the charity after an internal investigation was carried out.
She has now been struck off the nursing register after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) concluded it was the only sanction that would “adequately protect the public.”
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The former nurse, who studied at the University of the West of Scotland, was not present for the recent hearing and is no longer practising.
She was said to be under stress due to “challenging personal circumstances” at the time of the incidents.
However, a panel of the NMC said she had failed to “fully understand the seriousness of her dishonesty” and added: “Miss Dobbin was a senior nurse in a position of trust and acting as a role model to other nurses.
“Her dishonest conduct took place on more than one occasion and in two very distinct situations.
“Due to the seriousness of the case and the public protection issues identified, an order that does not restrict Miss Dobbin’s practice would not be appropriate in the circumstances.”
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A spokeswoman for the Prince & Princess of Wales hospice said: “The Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice is committed to providing the highest standards of care for our patients.
“This individual has not worked for the hospice since 2017.
“When we were alerted to a potential incident, we immediately suspended this individual while we carried out a full investigation after which we terminated the contract of employment.
“As part of our duty of care we also reported the individual to their professional regulatory body, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), and provided the NMC with the outcome of our investigation.”
“We would like to reassure our patients and their families that we are committed to ensuring their care and safety at all times.”
In a separate case a nurse who worked at the Golden Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank was struck off for a string of patient errors.
Joanne McPhee gave a patient five times the correct dose of the diuretic Frusemide.
She also botched a paravertebral block, used to inject anaesthetic into the spine, and a patient’s insulin injection.
The incidents happened while the nurse was employed at the Clydebank hospital between April 2008 and June 1 2013.
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