A nurse’s decision to give an ill elderly family friend at least twice the prescribed dose of morphine was reckless and erroneous, but she should not face prosecution, a Queensland coroner has ruled. The “unwell” woman, known as ES, was 87 when her health deteriorated after her family brought her home from a Brisbane hospital in July 2014. Her family, and later the nurse, administered medication, including excessive oral morphine and misapplied fentanyl patches. Deputy State Coroner John Lock said that on the morning ES died, the nurse syringed likely greater than twice the prescribed amount of morphine into ES’s mouth – despite knowing ES had already received two doses in the previous couple of hours. An autopsy revealed potentially fatal levels of morphine and fentanyl, as well as significant pre-existing disease. “Medications were given to (the woman) by the family and by (the nurse) in a careless fashion …” Mr Lock said. “It is quite clear that mixed toxicity, intentionally and likely ignorantly given, was the predominant factor which brought about (the woman’s) death.” An inquest heard the nurse was later overheard in her workplace’s tea room referring to herself as the “Angel of Death” and reportedly talking about assisting in ES’s death. Mr Lock said it remained “somewhat unclear” why the nurse, who claims the reference was a joke, said what she did. The nurse told the inquest she didn’t intend to hasten the end of her life, and was surprised when she died. Mr Lock said he would not make any referrals to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Police found insufficient evidence to consider criminal charges.
