Nurse struck off after racist social media posts

A nurse has been struck off after posting "grossly offensive" racist comments on her social media account.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel concluded Worcestershire Royal Hospital worker Rhoda Tagle had impaired her fitness to practice.

A misconduct hearing held from 28 to 29 May was told the nurse posted material "prejudicial and or discriminatory towards people based on their race".

The panel found her Facebook posts and subsequent comments "were grossly offensive, prejudicial and discriminatory in nature."

The committee also found the nurse's actions were intended to show racial prejudice or discrimination.

Mrs Tagle, who was employed as an agency nurse on the trauma and orthopaedics ward, was referred anonymously to the NMC in January 2022.

While not visible to the general public, her social media posts were seen by her friends, which included work colleagues.

The panel considered a witness statement from a female colleague, who said she found them "extremely racist".

"I was shocked because this behaviour didn’t tally with what I knew of her," the witness added.

She added she had been made aware of an argument between Ms Tagle and an unknown nurse on the shift prior to the post.

"I believe she posted on Facebook within an hour of this shift ending," she stated.

"I don't know whether the argument had anything to do with the posts but the posts followed the argument timewise. I wasn't present for the argument so I don't know whether it was racially motivated."

The panel concluded the nurse's actions fell "significantly short" of professional nursing standards and amounted to misconduct.

It also found the posts brought her profession into disrepute and considered there was no evidence to suggest she had demonstrated insight into her misconduct.

An interim striking-off order was imposed, pending a full order within 28 days.

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