Nurse lied about qualifications to land job as Stroud care home manager

A nurse who lied about her qualifications to land a job as a care home manager was exposed when an anonymous letter was sent to her bosses, a hearing was told today.

Gabriela Davidescu claimed she worked as a nurse for two agencies between 2003 and 2007 on her application form to the Cotswold House Care Home, in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

But she was not qualified to practice as a nurse until 2007, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

After managing the home for more than two years, her lies were uncovered when an unsigned letter was sent to the home, it was said.

Miranda Stotesbury, for the NMC, said: “The registrant was employed by the Cotswold House Care Home as the registered nurse manager in about August 2009 and in that role she was responsible for ensuring the effective running of the home

“When applying for that post, the registrant submitted an application form and also provided a CV which contained a large amount of – what the NMC says – was false information about her employment history.

“The registrant had stated that she was employed at Reed Social Care, which is an agency, from July 2005 to 2007 and she states in that application form that she was employed as a registered community nurse.

“She goes on to state in that form that she worked for Westminster Healthcare between 2003 and 2005 again in the capacity as a registered general nurse,’ she said.

“The registrant was subsequently employed as the nurse manager of the Cotswold House Care Home and it was over two years until the allegations came to light.

“It came to light in a rather strange way.

“In February 2012, the home’s HR manager received an anonymous letter outlining several issues with the registrant’s employment.”

An investigation into Davidescu’s conduct was carried out, in which it was exposed that Davidescu was sacked from working at Lucerne House, Exeter, for Barchester Healthcare.

“The HR manager contacted the deputy manager at Lucerne House who confirmed to her over the telephone that the registrant was subject to disciplinary proceedings,’ said Ms Stotesbury.

“She also contacted Reed Social Care and obtained two references from that agency dating from July and November 2007 which appeared to show that the registrant’s position at Reed Social Care was not that of a registered nurse but of a health care assistant.”

When Davidescu’s details were checked with the NMC, it showed she had not registered to practice as a nurse until June 2007.

After being offered a managerial position at the Cotswold House Care Home, Davidescu was required to fill in a second application to the CQC, the panel heard.

“In the section where she was asked if she had ever been dismissed or given any kind of disciplinary warning the registrant checked the box ‘no’,” said Ms Stotesbury.

Following the revelation that it appeared the registrant was claiming she was a nurse from 2003 to 2007 when in fact she was not, an investigatory meeting was held into those allegations.

“The registrant attended and gave a response but she resigned before the disciplinary hearing could be completed,” said Ms Stotesbury.

Davidescu, who is present and represented at the hearing in central London, denies failing to disclose her employment at Barchester Healthcare and lying on her CQC application.

But she admits five charges, including that she lied about her employment as a registered nurse between 2003 and 2007.

If the tribunal find her guilty of misconduct, she could face being struck off the register.

The hearing continues.