Jerymay Palma Gargallano appeared before fitness-to-practice committee of Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and was found guilty of professional misconduct.
Gargallano shared photos to Instagram of a nursing home resident sleeping on a soiled bed.
The nurse was also found guilty of poor professional performance and breaches of the code of professional conduct and ethics for registered nurses.
According to The Irish Times, Gargallano admitted that between July 1st and 2nd 2025 whilst working the night shift at Cairnhill Nursing Home, Herbert Road, Bray, she took a photograph of a 90 year-old resident sleeping on soiled bed sheets.
She confirmed that she also took a photo of the bedsheets after the resident was taken out of her bed, who has been named 'B' to keep her identity hidden.
The news outlet revealed that Gargallano posted the photos to her Instagram account with a caption that read: "Living the dream! One disaster at a time."
Committee chairman Conan McKenna stated that Gargallano was caring for a "vulnerable patient" and failed to meet her "moral and professional obligation" to treat the resident with dignity and respect.
He added that she also violated Cairnhill Nursing Home's official policies regarding mobile phone use and social media.
Caoimhe Daly, legal counsel for NMBI Chief Executive Carolyn Donohoe, argued that while the violation was an isolated incident, its severity warrants a sanction "at the upper end" of the scale.
Supporting the case, Daly presented a statement from Cairnhill’s Director of Nursing, Louise Moran, who noted hiring Gargallano in April 2023.
Moran revealed that after learning of the online photo, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) intervened on July 4th to demand its immediate removal.
The committee also heard evidence from Trinity Nursing Home Group HR Manager Melissa Smith.
In a statement read by Daly, Smith recalled receiving an urgent call from Moran on July 4th reporting that an Instagram photo showing a resident's legs in bed had been discovered. Smith advised suspending Gargallano on full pay pending an internal investigation, which ultimately resulted in her dismissal from Cairnhill.
Katie Morrissey, Gargallano's barrister, said her client could not justify her conduct but could understand the seriousness of her conduct and offers a "sincere apology."
