Agency nurse truck off following death of care home resident.

An agency nurse who accidentally gave a massive overdose to a 78-year-old care home resident has been struck off.

Patricia Rosen was given 80mg of a morphine-like painkiller, Oxycodone, 16 times the safe amount for her, meant for another resident, also called Patricia, who needed a such high dosage, an earlier inquest at Leicester Coroner's Court heard.

Mrs Rosen, a diabetic, died just hours after arriving at Cedar Court, Wigston, Leicestershire, on 18 February 2013 after being treated at Leicester Royal Infirmary for heart problems and low blood sugar levels.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council found Mariana Birsasteanu's actions "caused or contributed to" Mrs Rosen's death.

The inquest had heard that nurse Ms Birsesteanu was left in charge of more than 50 patients on the night Mrs Rosen was given the fatal overdose.

The court was told she discovered her error in administering the drugs the following morning, but left the home without telling another member of staff.

Ms Birsasteanu told the panel that she had found the home's medication procedures difficult and had concerns about how the home’s medicine distribution system was organised.

She wanted to use a standard paper system because she found the electronic system confusing but was told she could not by the deputy manager.

It was later that night that Ms Birsasteanu administered the Oxycodone to Mrs Rosen.

Senior nurse and deputy manager Mabel Casyao told the inquest into Mrs Rosen’s death that Ms Birsasteanu had also made mistakes with two other patients’ prescriptions during her shift.

Ms Birsesteanu said that the next morning, after realising her mistake, she had tried to contact a member of staff, but could not find anyone and left the home because she was stressed.

She also said the council should have carried out a more thorough inquiry and told the panel the investigations after Mrs Rosen's death were “a nightmare" which had destroyed her life and career.

The panel concluded that, despite the nurse's regret for Mrs Rosen's family, she had not shown true remorse and had focused on her own plight. Removing her name from the register was the only possible sanction for her misconduct.

Following the inquest, Mrs Rosen's family had said her death was "wholly avoidable.”

Procedures at the care home have since changed.

Police investigated the death, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to bring any charges.