Chepstow: A care home nurse in the UK has been struck off the professional register after a misconduct panel found that she said a resident with dementia did not need a birthday cake because he would not remember it.
Rossitsa Petkova, who had worked as a registered nurse at Castleford House Nursing Home in Chepstow for more than a decade, was found guilty of eight allegations relating to her treatment of elderly and vulnerable residents between January and October 2023.
Nurse said resident would not remember his birthday
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel heard that a kitchen assistant had asked Petkova what should be done with a cake prepared for a resident’s birthday.
According to evidence presented to the panel, Petkova said the resident lacked capacity and would not know it was his birthday. She reportedly suggested that the cake could instead be eaten by staff.
The kitchen assistant disagreed, saying that everyone deserved to have their birthday recognised, regardless of whether they had dementia.
Petkova denied making the comments and rejected the allegations against her.
Panel finds wider concerns over patient care
The birthday cake incident was among eight allegations found proven by the NMC panel. Other findings included shouting at residents to “shut up”, telling a resident that their daughter would not visit if they failed to finish their dinner, and blaming another resident after they accidentally dropped a beaker.
The panel said Petkova demonstrated a deeply dismissive attitude towards concerns about patient care and showed no sufficient evidence of insight or remorse.
It concluded that her conduct represented significant departures from the standards expected of a registered nurse and was incompatible with remaining on the professional register. A striking-off order was therefore imposed to protect vulnerable patients and maintain public confidence in the nursing profession.
Petkova retains the right to appeal against the decision.