A MENTAL health nurse who failed to notice a patients' broken hip and slept while on duty has been struck off the nursing register.

Juliet Watadza, from Goldfinch Drive, Bury, also wrote up patient notes without direct knowledge of the matters she was recording and gave medication to a care assistant, who then gave it to the wrong patient.

The 47-year-old used inappropriate language, asking a resident if his "c*** was sore" and made an inaccurate record after a patient broke his hip in a fall.

Mursing and Midwifery Council spokesman Polly Kettenacker said: "Given the seriousness of the charges the panel felt it had no choice but to strike Julie Watadza from the register.

"Her actions in sleeping on duty demonstrated a cavalier attitude towards the care of vulnerable residents."

The NMC panel heard that on May 18 and 20 2003, while employed at the Willows Care Home in Middlesbrough, Watadza fell asleep while on duty and while working at that care home made the inappropriate comments.

After losing her job, she obtained another ay the Kirkdale Care Home in Thornaby, but on September 26 2003 gave medication intended for a resident to a care assistant, who then gave it to another, different resident.

She was also found guilty of failing to comply with induction, training and supervision requirements following the incident.

Jane Jeffs, who chaired the NMC panel, said: "As a registered nurse you failed to protect and support the health of individual patients.

"You failed to ensure that the healthcare records were in accordance with treatment of healthcare delivered. You must protect and support your patients and you failed in your duty of care towards your patients."

Watadza denied the charges, claiming staff at the Willows Care Home "fabricated" the claims because they thought she was working too many night shifts.

She said: "These charges are fabricated because they wanted me out of the night duty, they wanted someone else to do it instead of me."