BODINGTON Nursing Home at Wentworth Falls, in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, became the subject of a Coroner’s Inquest this week after a resident died following an alleged overdose of morphine by a registered nurse.  The resident, 84 year old Mrs Sybil Zimmerman, died on 15 May 2011 after being transferred by ambulance in a comatose state to the Blue Mountains District Hospital in Katoomba.

Current and past nurses in the employ of BODINGTON aged care facility conducted themselves in an unprofessional and contemptible manner.  They appeared to be flippant and unconcerned that the inquest related to the circumstances of a person’s death.

Not only were the nurses and their companions discussing the evidence in loud whispers disrupting the public gallery, they, after the Coroner had ordered nurses who had not given evidence to leave the courtroom, went on to feed evidence being heard to their companion nurses outside the courtroom at regular intervals.  The conduct of the nurses and their intimidatory tactics were reported to the Registrar of the Coroner’s Court.

On the 4th day of Inquest, a number of nurses deliberately and intentionally engaged in intimidatory behaviour by spreading themselves around the public gallery including sitting with and surrounding the deceased’s family while one family member was waiting to complete giving evidence.

The Coroner interrupted proceedings to address the Court about the conduct and reactions of nurses and that their ‘ripples of laughter’ throughout the courtroom were unacceptable.  They were reminded that their presence in the courtroom be mute.

The disruptive conduct by RN Rosemary CHAPLIN, RN Elizabeth HANDLEY, RN Charlotte TILY and RN Linda VERITY, carer Mary PINKERTON, three of their counterparts from BODINGTON Nursing Home, plus several companions, was ordered to cease.

The nurses’ scant regard for court protocols and their unprofessional conduct illustrated that they conduct themselves in their day-to-day nursing jobs in the same manner.