A Fife care home worker choked a resident by pinning his head back and pouring medication into his mouth.
Cherylleigh Niven committed the offence while working at Craighead Nursing Home, in Newport, in June 2017.
She was banned from registration as a care home worker after failing to notify the regulating body of her conviction at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Senior nursing care assistant Niven had been employed in the care sector for 15 years before she was convicted of culpable and reckless conduct.
The court heard she tilted the resident’s chair backwards, pinned his head to the chair and forced the liquid into his mouth causing him to choke, risking his health.
Niven was suspended immediately after the incident then dismissed by her employer Roseguard Properties, a member of Four Seasons Health Care.
She was removed from the register of the Scottish Social Services Council by a fitness to practice panel after it found she failed to inform the council she had been charged with a criminal offence and sacked.
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It concluded her behaviour was “abusive” and only removal from the register was appropriate sanction.
In its report of findings, it told Niven: “Whilst your behaviour was an isolated incident, you have significant experience which should have informed you that what you did was not appropriate.
“That conduct amounted to a significant breach of trust in failing to support and care for a vulnerable adult.
“Your behaviour resulted in distress being caused to a service user.
“Your conduct was serious and fundamentally incompatible with the values of the profession.”
While it said her conduct fell far below the standards expected of a social service worker, the panel also acknowledged she had “undoubtedly contributed significantly to the care of service users” during her career.
Niven did not participate in the SSSC proceedings, which concluded at a hearing in Dundee earlier in April.
However, the panel heard that during an investigation by her employer Niven accepted she should have behaved differently but said she was concerned for the resident and wanted to help him by administering his medication.
Niven can apply to return to the register after three years.
