Nurse Karen Jane Makinson found guilty of misconduct for intoxication at work

A Nursing and Midwifery Council panel has found nurse Karen Jane Makinson guilty of misconduct after she attended a shift at Church House Nursing Home in Nantwich, Cheshire, while extremely intoxicated.

During her shift on June 4, 2024, Makinson was observed swaying and struggling to walk downstairs. Colleagues testified that she laughed inappropriately and was unable to coordinate her fingers to use a smartphone to book a taxi home, requiring assistance from a senior carer. The care home manager, Robert Hammond, reported that he had to confiscate her car keys to prevent her from driving.

The 44-bed facility provides care for vulnerable residents, including those with dementia and those receiving end-of-life care. The panel determined that Makinson’s actions put residents at a ‘significant risk of harm’. While Makinson claimed her unsteadiness was due to texting while walking and that she had only consumed two glasses of wine hours earlier, the panel found her explanation ‘implausible’. She was dismissed from her position on June 14, 2024.