A London nurse has been struck off the medical register after being found to have called Black colleagues the N-word and “Black s***”.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said Kinga Lesniak’s comments showed she had a “deep-seated attitudinal problem” and an “entrenched contempt” towards Black people and jeopardised the safety of patients.
The council imposed an 18-month interim suspension order to stop Ms Lesniak working as a registered nurse if she chose to appeal.
A panel formed to hear Ms Lesniak’s case accused her of failing to “sufficiently” understand the distress and shock her comments – which ranged from “Black monkeys” to saying she hated “Black people” – had on colleagues and risked repeating them, an NMC report found.
The panel wrote: “Your misconduct was so deplorable that it could discourage members of the public, especially members of the Black community, from seeking/accessing clinical care when required.
“A well-informed member of the public may be reluctant to receive clinical care if they were aware that a member of the nursing profession had exhibited such racist conduct as you had chosen to do.
“In light of this, the panel determined that your misconduct poses a significant risk of harm to the public and that a finding of impairment is necessary on the grounds of public protection.”
Ms Lesniak denied calling colleagues at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington the N-word or saying she hated them on August 8, 2021, but admitted using a handful of slurs she agreed were racially motivated.
Her remarks were reported to hospital staff and Ms Lesniak was immediately suspended. She resigned the following day.
The panel, which sat earlier this month, said it was likely Ms Lesniak made all the remarks she is accused of saying, adding its view was based on “consistent” witness statements and the nurse’s own admissions.
Ms Lesniak’s representative, Sharmistha Michaels, who was appointed by the Royal College of Nursing said she has since apologised to colleagues and described the encounter as a “one-off” and “totally out of character” that was allegedly triggered by work stress during the pandemic and staff leaving patients’ breakfast outside the bay.
Ms Michaels said the nurse had been working in the Covid ward at the time.
She said Ms Lesniak had since taken training and anger management courses and worked as a registered nurse without problems.
The panel acknowledged these factors but said there was no justification for the racist outburst and accused Ms Lesniak of resigning and writing an apology letter once she found out disciplinary proceedings would be taken against her.
The panelists said: “The panel was seriously concerned with your conduct as your racist comments indicated contempt towards the black race; although the words were said in the heat of an argument, they were directed in a way that was hurtful to your black colleagues. The panel found that, as a result of your conduct, you failed to respect and uphold the dignity of your colleagues on the Ward.
“The panel therefore found your actions to be extremely serious and unprofessional, and that they would be seen as deplorable by other members of the profession and members of the public.”
The panel relied on five witnesses who claim Ms Lesniak shouted racist comments at a catering assistant from a kitchen doorway. She’s alleged to have called the assistant a “Black monkey” and “Black b******”.
When two other nurses stepped in and said the language was “unacceptable”, Ms Lesniak responded by using more racist language, they said.
Ms Lesniak admitted making “racist remarks” but claims she had been racially abused by staff on the ward.
In its ruling, the panel wrote: “Having considered the charges individually and as a whole, the panel determined that your actions did fall seriously short of the conduct and standards expected of a nurse and amounted to misconduct. The panel concluded that to characterise your actions as anything other than serious misconduct would send the wrong message about the nursing profession to both patients and colleagues.”
It added: “It was of the view that you have not demonstrated sufficient understanding of the severity of your misconduct, in particular with respect to the charges you denied, and its impact on patients, your colleagues, the nursing profession, the black community and public confidence in the profession.
“The panel found that your misconduct is indicative of serious attitudinal concerns which are difficult to remediate, and that your insight is not complete, and so it concluded that there remains a risk of repetition.”
Ms Lesniak has 28 days to appeal but will not be able to practise during that time because of the interim suspension order.
The Royal College of Nursing said it does not comment on individual cases.
Peoplesmind
