A nursing associate has been suspended for a year for slapping a dementia patient on the neck, a medical regulator has ruled.
Adrian Prostire received a 12-month suspension after being found guilty of misconduct over the incident at St Magnus’ Hospital, in Haslemere, on February 2 last year.
A fitness to practise hearing held by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was told how Mr Prostire’s manager heard and saw him slap the resident, who was described as “severely cognitively impaired”, from “some distance away” and challenged him on his behaviour.
Mr Prostire was said to be “visibly shocked” to see his manager and responded that he “didn’t know why he did it”.
He later admitted to the contact and apologised.
Mr Prostire was suspended on February 20, 2023 following a disciplinary meeting.
In a witness statement given to the NMC, Mr Prostire claimed that he had been attempting to move the patient, named as Resident A, out of his path.
“As I approached him, I intended to redirect him away from my path. I wanted to put my hand on the small of his back to gently steer him, but unfortunately in my hurried action, I accidentally caught my right hand to the base of his neck,” he told the hearing.
Mr Prostire also argued that a 10 inch height difference between himself and the patient had “led to the impact between his hand and Resident A’s neck”, an explanation which the panel deemed “implausible”.
The panel was told that there was no harm caused to Resident A, the slap had not caused redness to the neck, and that Resident A did not call out or indicate distress.
In its ruling, the panel noted that “members of the public would be very concerned if they learned that a nursing associate who slapped a vulnerable resident were allowed to continue practising without a finding of misconduct”.
The patient was put at an “unwarranted risk of harm” as a result of Mr Prostire’s misconduct, they concluded.
Mr Prostire “did not exhibit safe practice on this occasion, he was unkind to Resident A, and his behaviour was not professional”, the panel found.
However, the NMC acknowledged that the incident was “isolated” and that Mr Prostire had “not demonstrated deep-seated attitudinal issues”.
He has “remained apologetic since the incident”, according to the ruling, with hopes that “further insight and reflection” could avoid a repeat of his behaviour.
As such, the panel said that striking Mr Prostire off the nursing register would be “unduly punitive”.
The panel suspended Mr Prostire for 12 months with immediate effect, arguing the penalty would give him “sufficient time to develop insight into his misconduct and develop strategies to ensure this is not repeated in the future”.
Mr Prostire was not present at the hearing, which concluded on July 19.
The Standard has contacted St Magnus’ Hospital for comment.
Mr Prostire could not be reached for comment.
