Carer with bi polar banned from working in health services for 2 years
NEW YORK: A nurse with bipolar who put the public at risk when she worked a shift at Archbold House aged care home at Roseville has been banned from practising for two years.
The Health Care Complaints Commission brought complaints against nurse Amanda Collins, who had been a nurse since 1987, to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which found her guilty of professional misconduct.
Formerly known by her married name of Amanda Marscham, Collins had been a patient of multiple mental health facilities across Sydney including Westmead and Macquarie hospitals.
Her last “extraordinary long’’ admission was in August 2018 when she spent seven months in Cumberland Hospital at Westmead where she was “highly irritable and hostile towards staff” following a relapse of her bipolar disorder.
Upon her discharge, the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Council restricted her from working until it assessed her condition — but Ms Collins ignored the rules and failed to tell her nursing agency about restrictions.
She was the only registered nurse during a 4 ½ hour shift at Archbold House on November 23, 2019, when she wrote reports, handled medications and settled a new resident with assistance from other nurses. She was reported and it led to her registration being suspended.
In her evidence to the tribunal, Collins said her neuropsychologist was “not God’’ when asked if his diagnosis of her bipolar, which may have been developing into schizo-affective disorder, was correct and “it’s his opinion only’’.
The tribunal supported psychiatrist Dr Anthony Samuels’ assessment that Collins lacked insight into her impairment.
“He thought it highly unlikely that she would comply with future treatment, as she lacks insight, and has a very negative view about psychiatrists; he could not see her mental state improving in the near future, and he considered the prospects of her returning to nursing practice were very low.
“The tribunal asked Ms Collins if she thought she was competent to practise as a nurse now. Ms Collins said perhaps she would need more knowledge; she thinks she is mentally able to, but others differ.’’
She was banned from working for a non-review period of two years, allowing her to have “lengthy psychiatric treatment, demonstrate prolonged compliance with medication, achieve solid rehabilitation and gain genuine insight into her conduct and full understanding of her mental condition”.
“Time is also needed to ensure Ms Collins’ conduct and send a message to other practitioners that working while subject to a condition not to work cannot be condoned.’’
The tribunal heard Collins had been treated with antipsychotic medications and mood stabilisers for several years and it was not the first time her registration had been cancelled.
Western Sydney Local Health District deregistered her for three months in 2008 on mental health grounds but she was allowed to continue working if she continued therapy with a GP and was not employed through a nursing agency. The conditions were removed in February 2012 and she was stable until 2018.