Nurse struck off after calling black colleagues N-word

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

A 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 or 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 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. We attempted to contact Ms Lesniak for comment.

Pictured top: St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Agatefilm)