Michelle Day paid the patient extra attention which led to his perception that he was in a ‘romantic relationship’
A nurse who was left a house by a vulnerable care home resident who developed “romantic” feelings towards her has been struck off. Senior care home nurse Michelle Day failed to inform her employers that the resident had changed his will in her favour and had also gifted her shares, flowers and £200 in cash, a tribunal was told.
Mrs Day worked at Merafield Nursing Home in Plympton, Plymouth, when her alleged misconduct took place, a Nursing and Midwifery Council fitness to practice panel heard. She had been the Clinical Lead at the home, overseeing nine nurses and health care assistants.
The panel found Mrs Day had “breached professional boundaries” with Resident A by spending extra time with him on shifts, divulging private information about herself to him and accepting gifts from him including the house. It said she failed to inform her employer about the gifts and bequest.
The NMC panel found that in failing to inform her employer she was dishonest as she knew she was obliged to and chose not to do so. The NMC said: “The panel found that Mrs Day was giving Resident A extra attention which led to his perception that he was in a ‘romantic relationship’ with Mrs Day.
“When Mrs Day withdrew her attention, this caused him actual emotional harm. The panel considered this to be particularly egregious behaviour as Resident A was a vulnerable resident.”
It added: “The panel had also determined that Mrs Day breached professional boundaries with Resident A by spending a disproportionate amount of time with him, attending the (care) Home outside her normal work hours and by divulging her personal and financial information to him.
“Mrs Day’s behaviour misled Resident A into what he thought was a romantic relationship and, most likely, led to him bequeathing her the property in his will and giving her the other gifts. Mrs Day’s pattern of behaviour continued over a considerable period of time. This was far from acting in the best interests of Resident A.”
It also said: “The panel noted it is absolutely clear in the Home’s policies and procedures of the process to follow with regard to accepting gifts, and therefore Mrs Day was required to alert her employer of the offer on any gifts. Further, the NMC Code is clear that all but the “most trivial gifts” should be refused.”
The panel said Mrs Day’s actions caused emotional harm to Resident A, and that she was dishonest over a sustained period of time in an attempt to obtain personal financial gain for herself. It said her action had brought the nursing profession into disrepute and nothing short of a striking-off order would be sufficient.
The nurse, who was first registered in 2008, did not attend the hearing. In correspondence with the NMC in May, she wrote: “I can confirm that I will not be attending the hearing. I am not looking to continue with a nursing career nor will I be looking to return to work in the care sector in any form in the future.”
