Áras Attracta nurse admits ‘poor practice and poor judgement’

ACCUSED Joan Walsh, staff member at Áras Attracta, Swinford, leaving Ballina court last summer. Pic: Keith Heneghan

Staff nurse slapped elderly resident with severe intellectual disabilties

Castlebar
Edwin McGreal

A staff nurse charged with assault of a elderly resident of Áras Attracta has said what she did was ‘poor practice and poor judgement’ and it is ‘not something I’m proud of’.
The trial of Joan Walsh (43) of Carrowilkeen, Curry, Co Sligo, began before Castlebar District Court this morning (Friday), with Ms Walsh contesting the charge.
Ms Walsh’s trial was the fourth of five trials involving workers at the HSE run facility in Swinford to get underway this week. They follow revelations that came to light in RTÉ’s Prime Time Investigates documentary, Bungalow Three.
CCTV footage shows Ms Walsh drag the resident in question, whom the court has ordered to be referred to as Miss B, across the floor and drop her in a chair.
Later, when sitting beside another worker, Ms Walsh slaps Miss B on the hand.
Ms Walsh told the court the incident was ‘not something I would do’ and ‘in hindsight I would like to think I would do something very different’ in a similar situation.
She described it as ‘an instant reaction’ and ‘not something I’m proud of’. She said it was ‘poor practice and poor judgement’ and something she regrets, but she said it was not assault.
Ms Walsh qualified as a staff nurse in February 2000 and started working in Áras Attracta in August 2000. She had been working as a care assistant in another facility since 1992.
She told the court she had raised concerns about resources and staffing in Bungalow Three, and that staffing shortages often meant residents were unable to be brought on excursions during the day to swim, walk or shop.
She said that for over a year before the incident in November 2014, she ‘found the conditions very stressful’. “I knew I was very tired,” she said.
The court heard that Ms Walsh had asked for a reduction in her hours but was not granted it due to staff shortages.
The court also heard that Ms Walsh brought up the issue of staff shortages at a sector meeting on the very day of the alleged assault.
She described Bungalow Three as ‘a very high-charged atmosphere a lot of the time’ and that there was ‘a risk at all times’ to staff.
She told the court that as Miss B has no family, ‘everyone was very fond of her’, but that she could ‘instantly grab out’ and scrape staff.

In care all her life
Martin Maguire, Clinical Nurse Manager at Áras Attracta, told the court Miss B has been in care all her life and that both her parents were previously users of ‘another service facility’. He told the court that Miss B is non-verbal and describes her as having ‘severe intellectual disabilities’.
Mr Maguire said what Ms Walsh did as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘not appropriate’.
Under questioning from Keith O’Grady, counsel for Ms Walsh, Mr Maguire described Ms Walsh as ‘a very competent nurse’ and diligent. He was asked had Áras Attracta any complaints about Ms Walsh, aside from this case.
“No, it was most complimentary,” said Mr Maguire, who added he was surprised by what he saw on RTÉ’s Prime Time.
Mr O’Grady added that 473 people were canvassed by gardaí for these prosecutions and that his client was not named once. Gardaí confirmed this.
Mr O’Grady argued that it was not a matter for the court to rule on whether it was ‘appropriate management’ of the situation, but on whether the actions amounted to assault.
Judge Mary Devins said she will give a date for her decision later this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Judge Devins recused herself from the trial of Anna Ywunong Botsimbo (34) of Low Park Avenue, Charlestown.
Judge Devins said this was due to information she was made aware of in a garda interview with Ms Botsimbo which ‘compromised’ the court, because of information involved in those answers.
The trial of Kathleen King (56), Knockshanvally, Straide, Foxford, is ongoing and continues after lunch.