A watchdog disciplined a nurse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire for inadequate note-taking before a patient’s death.
Ronaldo Golimlim received a 12-month conditions of practice order during a virtual hearing, which he did not attend.
A nurse may receive a conditions of practice order when their actions can be remedied through retraining or assessment.
The sanction requires Mr. Golimlim to work under constant supervision and report work details to the NMC.
He must also have monthly meetings to improve record-keeping and patient condition monitoring.
This follows a patient’s death under his care at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury.
Patient A’s condition worsened at the end of Mr. Golimlim’s night shift, and the patient passed away on the morning of March 25, 2019, shortly after his shift ended.
During the investigation interview, Mr. Golimlim stated that he had requested assistance from the nurse in charge and asked them to contact the outreach and medical team.
He also stated that he “took the initiative” to call the surgical team scheduled to visit the patient but couldn’t reach them.
A panel concluded that Mr. Golimlim did not maintain accurate records in the two days preceding Patient A’s death.
It was established that Mr. Golimlim did not date, time, sign, print his name, or maintain legible and chronologically ordered clinical notes.
Additionally, between March 24 and March 25, he did not document Patient A’s deteriorating condition or the need for care escalation, although the panel did not substantiate his failure to make and record a decision regarding observation frequency concerning Patient A’s deterioration.
Its decision stated, “The panel believed that Mr. Golimlim had responsibilities and failed in them by making numerous recording errors during both night shifts.”
“The panel concluded that Mr. Golimlim’s inadequate record-keeping placed his patients at substantial risk, with no evidence of mitigating circumstances”.
They emphasized the importance of accurate record-keeping for tracking patient deterioration and taking appropriate action. His misconduct violated nursing profession’s fundamental principles by failing to communicate effectively and maintain accurate records, harming its reputation.
The panel noted his lack of remorse for the misconduct but believed that actions could address it.”
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust referred Mr. Golimlim to the NMC in June 2020.
He worked as a Band 5 Staff Nurse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, employed by the trust since December 2014.
Source: Bucks Herald
