Bank nurse Lenuta Botezatu was working a night shift on Benham Ward at NGH when an elderly patient she was taking to the toilet hit her in her chest.
Despite knowing the man only lashed out because of his dementia, she yelled at him words to the effect of: “if you carry on I will break your wrists”.
She also raised her arm as if to strike the man, but was restrained by colleagues. Bizarrely, she also twisted his nose, causing bruising.
Evidence put to a Nursing and Midwifery Council tribunal this week says two people witnessed the incident:
'Ms 2' said "Botezatu grabbed Patient A’s right hand, pulled him forward and then, out of nowhere, gave him a Chinese burn."
And Ms 1 said: "Botezatu then raised her hand to Patient A and it looked like she was going to hit him in the face. "She did not hit him and I felt that she was maybe using her actions as a way of threatening him.
"Ms 2 was telling Ms Botezatu to calm down. Ms Botezatu raised her hand again and everyone exclaimed “no” and stepped in”.
It was at that point that Ms 2 grabbed both of Botezatu's hands.
Striking Botezatu off the nursing register for the incident, which happened in October 2017, the panel said they had no real option.
Chair of the panel Anthony Mole said: "Although she apologised to her employer, the panel was not satisfied that Ms Botezatu had shown sufficient insight into the seriousness of her actions, and in particular its potential effects on her colleagues and public confidence in the profession.
"Furthermore, the panel considered that Ms Botezatu’s misconduct would be considered so serious by members of the public that it may be incompatible with ongoing registration."