Nurse who plagiarised uni work 'fit to practice'
GoogleA nurse who admitted plagiarising university work is fit to continue to practice, a watchdog has ruled.
Caroline Mary Shannon faced a fitness to practice hearing in front of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
The panel heard Miss Shannon had plagiarised an assessment when she was enrolled on a postgraduate course at the University of Cumbria 10 years ago.
Although it said her behaviour amounted to misconduct, it found she was not impaired from continuing to practice.
Nawazish Choudhury, representing the NMC, said Miss Shannon, who had been a nurse for eight years at the time, had been due to complete a module on public health and the course was "directly linked to her role".
The panel was told she had been seconded by her employer and was spending three days a week working in a clinical environment and two days studying.
"It was paid by her the employer - effectively the public purse," Mr Choudhury said.
"The evidence heard that without passing this [assessment] she wouldn't have been able to pass the course."
He added it was a "significant matter" that called into question Miss Shannon's "integrity and honesty".
Mr Choudhury said the public would find her behaviour "completely unacceptable", regardless of what was happening in her life at the time.
"I know this took place 10 years ago, but on public interest grounds, I still advise you to find impairment," he told the panel.
Thomas Buxton, representing Miss Shannon, told the panel the nurse should not be found to be impaired.
"Albeit it was 10 years ago, my submission is that the conduct is remediable," he said.
"There is no risk whatsoever of any repetition of this behaviour in the future."
'Prioritised personal call'
The panel heard that for the last four years, Miss Shannon had worked for Capita as a disability assessor, meaning she was no longer carrying out "physical" clinical nursing tasks.
She said as part of her role she carried out clinical assessments every day.
"You need to be a registered nurse, you still need your nursing skills, if I wasn't a nurse, I couldn't do that role," she told the panel.
Mr Buxton said she was "highly thought of" at work and her current line manager had provided a testimonial to this effect.
GoogleMiss Shannon admitted five other allegations relating to her time working as a registered nurse at Temple Sowerby Medical Practice.
She admitted prioritising taking a personal call over seeing a patient who was shielding during the coronavirus pandemic in July 2020, telling a colleague it was a professional safeguarding call.
She also admitted failing to document the examinations of two patients the following month.
An allegation that Miss Shannon had not given a full dose of rotavirus vaccine to a patient when they spit out the first dose was found proven.
The hearing took place virtually and Miss Shannon was seen smiling when the outcome was delivered.
Panel chairman Rachel Forster told the nurse: "We wish you well in your career."