A NURSE faces punishment for stabbing a needle into a patient’s stomach despite protests she didn’t need another dose.

Mangayarkarasi Krishnaswamy was told her fitness to practice was impaired for the misconduct, after the diabetic woman suffered a hypoglycaemia attack in the middle of the night as a result.

While working as an agency nurse for Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust, Krishnaswamy also failed to record that resident did not consent to the drug, did not observe her blood glucose levels before giving it to her or record it appropriately.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council found Krishnaswamy’s actions were dishonest in trying to give the impression the resident gave consent when she had not.

She was scheduled to appear at a further hearing in March 27 this week, after previously being given a 12-month suspension during proceedings, over the incident back in March 28 2018.

However this hearing had to be put on hold due to COVID-19.

The complaint was made after the patient was admitted after having a fall at home and for ‘poor management of diabetes’.

She was on two diabetes medications Novorapid and Toujeo – the former a fast acting insulin medication that lowers a patient’s blood glucose levels and was to be on an insulin regime of taking Novorapid three times a day.

This was the fourth administration of Novorapid that day as the 4/4/2 had already been given pre breakfast, lunch and dinner. The resident alleged that she was informed at bedtime that she was supposed to be administered with an additional two units of Novorapid, with the patient saying she did not want to take it as it may bring on a hypoglycaemic attack.

She stated that Krishnaswamy insisted that she take it and when she refused to self-administer it injected it into her stomach.

Meeting papers state: “The panel noted that you accepted in the case management form that you made an error of judgement.

“The panel was satisfied subjectively that in failing to record Resident A’s lack of consent you sought to give the impression that she had consented to the administration of Novorapid when she had not.

“It further concluded that this conduct would be viewed by the standards of ordinary decent people as being dishonest.

“The panel reminded itself of the charges found proved, in particular that you had administered Novorapid without consent and dishonestly failed to record that Resident A had not consented.

“It also reminded itself that it had found that you have pressurised Resident A to self-administering Novorapid against her wishes.

“The period of this order is for 12 months to cover the period until this matter is satisfactorily concluded.”