A nurse who put tape over the mouth of an elderly nursing home resident has been fined €2,000 for professional misconduct.

Bimbo Paden (42), a Filipino nurse at St John's community hospital in Sligo, described the incident as an "act of stupidity".

He told the hearing at the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland that he did not realise the gravity of his action in June 2013 until afterwards.

He was also charged with placing a sling under the patient without the assistance of a colleague, which was in breach of procedure. Mr Paden was found guilty of professional misconduct.

He also appeared in Sligo District court where he was given the benefit of the Probation Act.

The sanction by the nurses' regulatory body has been confirmed by the High Court.

Separately, two nurses were also struck off, including Mary Philomena Flanagan, who was a director or nursing at an unnamed nursing home.

Ms Flanagan, who held the post between January 2002 and November 2008, was found guilty of professional misconduct for failing to manage the facility in a safe manner.

Two residents who had diarrhoea had tissue paper inserted in their rectums. When one of the people died, the body was moved in an inappropriate manner. The report of the inquiry said medication was discovered on the floor and in beds. Carers - rather than nurses - were administering drugs to residents. The premises did not have a proper supply of hot water and was not heated properly. There was also no proper rodent control at the home.

Ms Flanagan warned carers about complaining about how the home or run or residents cared for.

Carers were feeding residents in a manner which was inappropriate and disrespectful.

The decision to strike Ms Flanagan's name off the register was confirmed by the High Court in March. She is not recorded as working in any HSE-run nursing home.

In a third case nurse Aisling Mary Foster, who was a clinical nurse manager at a day care service, was struck off for professional malpractice, including for the manner in which she treated two intellectually disabled residents in 2010.

On one or more occasions she removed a young man from a room and placed him in a garden, preventing him from re-entering the house. She was also accused of speaking aggressively to another male resident and preventing him from moving his arms.

On another occasion she slapped the resident on his head and said: "If you can do it, so can I." She also leaned on top of a resident in an inappropriate way.

Irish Independent