A bungling nurse accused of repeatedly giving patients the wrong drugs was put under special supervision just six months into her job, a misconduct hearing was told.

It is claimed that Leanne Smith failed to give medication to one patient on six occasions in just two days.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) was told that the 28-year-old later risked the health of another patient when she failed to check his wrist band and then gave him someone else's medication.

Jim Wormington for the NMC said newly qualified Smith joined Conquest Hospital in Hastings in December 2005 and was at the East Sussex NHS Trust to gain experience in different specialities.

He said that on April 5, 2006 the nurse confused painkillers Oxynorm and Oxycontin while working on Egerton Ward.

Smith came to the attention of bosses again, when she failed to give a patient four prescription drugs on April 22.

Mr Wormington told the panel that the nurse had tried to defend her actions.

He added: “When asked why she marked a prescription card to say that a drug was 'not available', she explained that she could not find it on the ward, “It is the NMC's case that this is not a sufficient reason for not administering the medication.”

The panel was told that Smith said she was not clear about the dose when asked why she had not given a patient his saline nebuliser - a treatment for respiratory problems.

Mr Wormington said: “In the circumstances, a nurse should simply seek advice from the doctor. By not doing so, Ms Smith was not taking reasonable steps to ensure the drug was given.”

Smith, from Hastings, also gave excuses for not administering an antibiotic and drug Perindopril - for blood pressure.

It is claimed she said she could not read the prescription for the antibiotic and “needed to check the distribution” of the second drug.

The NMC was told that while both explanations were good reasons for a delay, they were not reasons to “delay the drugs altogether”.

The next day Smith allegedly failed to give the same patient two more drugs at the specified times.

Smith was then transferred to working on the day shift so more staff could supervise her.

Just over a month later she was transferred to Tressell ward - which focused on respiratory problems.

The panel was told that eight days into a plan to tackle Smith’s problems with prescribing drugs she gave a patient antibiotics meant for someone else.

Mr Wormington said “this should never have happened” as Smith only had to check the patient's wristband with the name on the drug chart.

He added: “It is evident that Ms Smith cannot have done this, or she would have noticed she was administering drugs to the wrong patient.”

Smith spent the remainder of her time at the hospital, until February 2007, under supervised practise.

During this period she allegedly failed a competency assessment and did not complete a self assessment.

On February 20 Smith, who is not attending the hearing, was demoted to a health care assistant.

She has neither admitted or denied the charges.

The hearing continues.