A NURSE who threatened to “smash” a patient’s face has been suspended from practicing for a year.

Robin Harrower threatened to harm a patient while restraining them on December 11, 2019, a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) hearing heard.

Ms Harrower, who was not present at the hearing and was unrepresented, was slapped with a one-year suspension order which will be reviewed before she can return to work.

The hearing was told she had shouted at a patient: “I am American you know and if you hurt me I will smack you between the eyes.”

She was also alleged to have said “do that again and I will smash you in the face”.

At the time she was employed as a registered nurse by Southend University Hospital Trust.

Ms Harrower had been called to support the high dependency unit to cover breaks where she was tasked with caring for a patient who was described as “vulnerable and agitated”.

One witness to the event, a deputy sister for critical care outreach, told the hearing she “clearly heard” Ms Harrower use threatening language.

The witness added Ms Harrower’s hand was “raised in a fist at the time” and it was clear the nurse’s “demeanour towards the patient was threatening”.

Giving evidence, an interim deputy director of nursing at the hospital said Ms Harrower had admitted to being “loud” in an incident review interview, but denied being aggressive.

The hearing heard Ms Harrower told the incident review she was “scared for a few seconds” and said she shouted at the patient as the patient attempted to grab her scissors.

“The patient grabbed my arm that had the scissors and dug into my arm. I told her to stop and let go,” Ms Harrower said.

The panel noted that no other witness reported seeing any scissors.

The panel found Ms Harrower’s actions had “placed a patient at an unwarranted risk of harm”, adding “no actual harm was caused by the inappropriate restraint but that there was a real risk of significant harm as a result.”

A spokesperson for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said:“A thorough internal investigation was conducted and appropriate disciplinary action was taken following the incident in December 2019.

“The nurse was removed from all duties and after investigation was referred to the NMC.”