A BUNGLING Hampshire nurse has been banned from intensive care for 18 months after regulators found her incompetence put patients at risk.

Anne Buchanan admitted to a catalogue of errors during her five-month probation at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

The experienced nurse failed to perform checks, kept inaccurate records and tried to give a patient drugs despite being "unfamiliar" with the medication, a hearing was told.

Ms Buchanan also checked a patient's groin and chest without warning and had an "inappropriate conversation" about her husband's finances with a patient's relative.

She admitted to 35 failures between May and June 2014 despite her 26 years of experience.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) barred her from working in intensive care for 18 months after ruling her ineptitude "placed patients at unwarranted risk of harm".

However, the nurse has been given the chance to put things right after showing remorse and willingness to improve.

The hearing in London was told how Ms Buchanan was hired to Winchester Hospital's intensive care unit in March 2014.

Her mishaps began in late May, as she failed to give assessments, miscalculated drug levels and couldn't explain a medical fact when asked.

Ms Buchanan also required prompting to perform tasks and failed to communicate with colleagues, the council found.

She was dismissed from her probation in August 2014.

The NMC report said: "In practising whilst not competent to do so the registrant acted in a manner which placed patients at unwarranted risk of harm and therefore served to bring the professions into disrepute."

However, it added: "There is a public interest in allowing her the opportunity to address her lack of competence, under such supervision as may be required to protect those in her care whilst she does so, and thereby returning to unrestricted practice when deemed safe to do so."

The board agreed that suspending or striking her from the register would be "punitive", adding that "personal circumstances" may have affected her care.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said: “The nurse worked with is for a short period. Any concerns were addressed at the time. She no longer works for the trust.”

Ms Buchanan was ordered to work under direct supervision for 18 months until completing a training course and to hold regular progress checks with management.

She did not attend the hearing and was not represented.