A CRITICAL care nurse has been allowed to continue working after admitting she ‘let herself down’ by shouting at a dementia patient.

A misconduct panel convened by the Nursing and Midwifery Council found that Joanne Edmundson’s actions did not impair her ‘fitness to practise’ as a nurse at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

She was accused of yelling at an elderly dementia patient who pawed at her breasts, and losing her temper when the woman soiled herself during the same shift in February last year. It was also alleged that she made a derogatory remark about a second patient being ‘lazy’.

The nurse of 23 years told the panel: “Having reflected and given a great deal of thought to the situation I am very shocked and upset that my behaviour during that period which I accept [to] those looking in was totally unprofessional.

“I should have handled the situations better and not let my patients and work colleagues down.

“During my time off work and my reflection on this matter I now appreciate that it matters not what circumstances or stresses I may be under, I cannot take those into the work place and allow my professionalism to slip.”

Her colleagues submitted glowing references to the hearing, which concluded: “In the light of the extensive insight and remediation coupled with the positive and supportive references and testimonials, there was insufficient evidence to justify a finding of current impairment.”