Marilyn Rillera found guilty of professional misconduct

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Marilyn Rillera was found guilty of professional misconduct at a Nursing and Midwifery Board Fitness to Practice inquiry on 20 June 2017. The inquiry found that she slapped an elderly patient on the arm at the Maynooth Community Care Unit on an unspecified date in December 2015 and referred to him as “a dirty Jew”.

The inquiry also found that Ms Rillera failed to communicate appropriately with the 87-year-old patient, who had advanced dementia, and breached the nurses’ professional code of conduct.

Healthcare assistant Linda Jennings said she and Ms Rillera were helping the patient into a sling when he became agitated and hit Ms Rillera on the arm. Ms Rillera moved her arm to block the hit, Ms Jennings said. She said Ms Rillera then used the phrase and slapped the patient on the arm.

Ms Rillera was not present at the inquiry and denied referring to the patient in that manner. She said instead that she had told him he was dirty. Ms Jennings said she was “100 per cent” certain that the phrase had been used.