Wow. Im afraid that if acf like this is no worse than any error that could be made, were doing our own profession a disservice, and scaring potential nurses away. She came to Nashville to "let the world know that criminalizing a mistake, an honest mistake, is not a direction we want to go in. I definitely misspoke about the PET scan and will mention that when I release Part 2 this week. Nashville Criminal Court Judge Jennifer Smith said Vaught would receive judicial diversion, a way for first-time offenders to have their charges dropped and their records expunged after successfully completing probation. Examples of this include drinking while intoxicated and causing a fatal car accident, dropping objects from the top of a tall building onto a busy street below. RaDonda Vaught sentenced to three years probation on a diverted RaDonda Vaught and her attorney, Peter Strianse, listen as verdicts are read at her trial in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday, March 25. After Vaught was found guilty in March, health care workers began posting to social media that they were leaving bedside nursing for administrative positions, or even quitting the profession altogether. Medical mistakes will be increasingly criminalized. The nursing profession is already extremely short-staffed, strained and facing immense pressure an unfortunate multi-year trend that was further exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic. This is hands down, the best thing Ive read so far about this case. Thats just Mom. In Oct 2018, an anonymous tipster alerted federal and state officials to the unreported error. For example, in New Orleans, there was a case recently in which four teenagers car-jacked an elderly woman and dragged her to her death. Prosecutors choose what charges to bring, and a lot can sway their decision-making. RaDonda Vaught, a former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse charged with in the death of a patient, listens to the opening statements during her trial at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Charlene Murpheys husband, however, did want her to serve a prison sentence, relatives testified. On Friday, Vaught's supporters wore purple T-shirts reading "#IAmRaDonda" and "Seeking Justice for Nurses and Patients in a BROKEN system," as they listened to speeches from other nurses and supporters. RaDonda started her career as a Licensed Realtor at Keller Williams Realty, Inc. In nurse's trial, witness says hospital bears 'heavy' responsibility for patient death. Deep Dive: RaDonda Vaught Trial, Charges, and Timeline Required fields are marked *. During a separate proceeding before the Tennessee Board of Nursing last year, Vaught testified that she allowed herself to become "complacent" and "distracted" while using the medication cabinet and did not double-check which drug she had withdrawn despite multiple opportunities. An individual can be convicted of the lesser charge of criminal negligence because its included under reckless homicide. [2], Janie Harvey Garner of Show Me Your Stethoscope, a nurse advocacy group, said that Vaught's case undermined the practice of just culture, which seeks to improve health care by not penalizing health care workers who are transparent about mistakes and near mistakes. The patient was not on any monitoring, was not observed in any capacity after this med was given, and left alone for 30 minutes. Chandra Murphey wipes her tears while giving her testimony about her mother in law, Charlene Murphey, during the trial of RaDonda Vaught, at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, March 22, 2022. It doesnt matter if Husels argument was that he was relieving their suffering which we dont know as he didnt testify. But Vanderbilt officials countered on the stand. "My dad suffers every day from this. 2. RaDonda Vaught and her attorney Peter Strianse listen as verdicts are read at the end of her trial in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday, March 25, 2022. Subscribe online and gain access to the entire archive. More importantly, for those of us who work as nurses and inevitably make an error and believe us, if you work in medicine and claim youve never made one, you just havent been practicing long enough such prosecution will discourage nurses, physicians, and any health care worker for that matter, from reporting their mistakes. (Stephanie Amador/The Tennessean via AP, Pool), Chandra Murphey wipes her tears while giving her testimony about her mother in law, Charlene Murphey, during the trial of RaDonda Vaught, at Justice A.A. Birch Building in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Quite an insightful article. Learn how your comment data is processed. She injected and immediately left her alone in the waiting room on the stretcher; this violated their mandated observation protocol. RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse in Tennessee, was sentenced on Friday to three years of supervised probation after being convicted in March of making a fatal medication error in 2017, which resulted in the death of a patient under her care. Former Tennessee nurse RaDonda Vaught convicted in death of patient Fox News Flash top headlines are here. He goes out there and cries. "I know the reason this patient is no longer here is because of me," Vaught told the nursing board, starting to cry. "The immutable fact of this case is that Charlene Murphey is dead because RaDonda Vaught could not bother to pay attention to what she was doing," Jackson said. Given this, however, if RaDonda is guilty shouldnt Vanderbilt be held accountable for failing to report this death to state and federal regulators? I needed to read this. 5 Min Read. (This likely will not happen, but is simply an example.). Prosecutors had argued against diversion, although they were not opposed to probation. "We used to always get together for family dinners," she said. My pleasure, it definitely took some time but I think it was well worth the effort to really understand whats going on. Vaught admitted making several errors that led to the fatal injection, but her defense attorney argued that systemic problems at Vanderbilt University Medical Center were at least partly to blame. Why was she charged with a crime? I know that nurses want to have each others backs, and any one of us can make an error at any time, but this is egregious. I recently learned about this connection over the past few days and have not had time to really dive into that. She admits fault, but her attorneys also describe the flawed Vanderbilt procedures. Had to look directly at the red cap that says PARALYZING AGENT when drawing it up, 9. [9][3], A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent testified that the medical center had a "heavy burden of responsibility" for the deadly medication error, but that the Bureau of Investigation only pursued criminal charges and penalties against the nurse, not the hospital. Youre not a task-master, youre a professional nurse who has a duty to critically think through situations. She came to Nashville to "let the world know that criminalizing a mistake, an honest mistake, is not a direction we want to go in. (Stephanie Amador/The Tennessean via AP, Pool). She knew the PET scan staff could not administer the med or monitor after, 10. Please check and try again. Then, she clicked the override function to obtain access to all medications in the cabinet. What is wrong with this picture? ", "Tennessee nurse convicted in lethal drug error sentenced to three years probation", "Tennessee governor won't consider clemency for RaDonda Vaught", "Should a nurse's medical error be considered a crime? One of these screens had a yellow alert banner. 2022 The Associated Press. The relief came after the health care workers spent hours in the sun and clung to every word of the judge's lengthy sentencing explanation, some linked in a chain with hands locked. RaDonda Vaught and her attorney, Peter Strianse, listen as verdicts are read at her trial in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday, March 25. On March 21, 2022, her criminal trial begins. Bite-Size Science: Guilty verdict for former nurse RaDonda Vaught 5. I listened to this episode when it originally came out, but now I am using it as one of my primary sources of the account! People dont take safety measures personally. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations denied her application. Being picky with this stuff is important no worries there! Thanks for your comments; appreciate your thoughts and input. On March 25, 2022, a jury found nurse RaDonda Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and felony abuse of an impaired adult. There is some legal fighting about which goes first. Vaught reported her error as soon as she realized what she had done wrong injected the paralyzing drug vecuronium instead of the sedative Versed into 75-year-old Charlene Murphey on December 26, 2017. I was a paralegal before a nurse & still find the law fascinating, especially with healthcare issues. In fact, Ms. Vaught's arrest and conviction makes patients less safe,", "We are grateful to the judge for demonstrating leniency in the sentencing of Nurse Vaught. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. (And this is probably why Lorie Brown who is a lawyer and a nurse has a website called Empowered Nurses! She appealed, but was denied once again. On July 23, 2021, her nursing license is revoked. I didnt get to give her a hug or a kiss," he said. I didn't get to give her a hug or a kiss," he said. A code blue and hour prior to the transport and task saturation [8] She was arrested and charged in Murphey's death in 2019.[9]. RaDonda Vaught sits in the courtroom ahead of her sentencing in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday. Rather, we are educated professionals who have a duty to be informed about what we can to do protect ourselves, and our patients, and how we can mitigate risk as much as possible while still enjoying our careers. In the meantime, check out one of her websites here. RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse criminally prosecuted for a fatal drug error in 2017, was convicted of gross neglect of an impaired adult and negligent homicide on Friday after a three-day trial in Nashville, Tenn., that gripped nurses across the country. Vaught, 38, of Bethpage, Tenn., was arrested in 2019 and charged with reckless homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult in connection with the killing of Charlene Murphey, who died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in late December 2017. At nurse RaDonda Vaught's trial, testimony points to Vanderbilt's - NPR Clearly, this is very subjective. 3. Linda Harrington; The RaDonda Vaught Case: A Critical Conversation on Nursing Practice and Technology. A state judge imposed the sentence on RaDonda Vaught after she apologized to relatives of the victim, Charlene Murphey, and said she'll be forever haunted by her mistake. Nurses will be the scapegoats for overall failures to create a culture of safety. She served three years of probation and had her license suspended for nine months. You can listen below. No one questioned anythinghow can we talk this example and use to to educate and help nurses and other healthcare professionals do their jobs safely. At least three screens on the med dispensing cabinet said WARNING PARALYZING AGENT. The sad reality is that prosecuting nurses for errors made in the conduct of their jobs will discourage people from choosing nursing as a profession, even as the U.S. faces a critical shortage of nurses. With reckless homicide, the person is aware of the risk created by their conduct and chose to disregard it its a gross deviation from the standard. You can reach her on Twitter at @s_rumpfwhitten. I realized I wrote it incorrectly in the blog post as well, and that has been updated. Be unapologetic about unsafe practices, even if they are normal, and navigate them in a tactful and professional manner. The TN Dept of Health charges RaDonda with: Unprofessional conduct, abandoning or neglecting a patient that required care, and failing to maintain an accurate patient record. Why nurses are raging and quitting after the RaDonda Vaught verdict - NPR It should be noted as a conflict of interest that Glenn Funk, DA is also a professor of law at Vanderbilt University. Radonda Vaught Story: What Happened To Radonda Vaught? - Vim Buzz I have worked with hundreds of nurses, and cant imagine in a million years any one of the making this error. The board takes no action against Vanderbilt. Subscribe to STAT+ for less than $2 per day, You've been selected! Thank you so much for doing the research, and discussing it in such a supportive, factual way. For many years in a row nursing has appeared at the top of the list of most-trusted professions. So, what are the differences between negligent homicide and reckless homicide? Perfectly said! Another nurses fatal med error who faced criminal charges, Vaughts 2020 Attempt to Purchase Firearms, My Thoughts on the RaDonda Vaught Trial as a Nurse, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6483588-Vaught-RaDonda-NOC-9-27-19.html, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6785652-RaDonda-Vaught-DA-Discovery.html, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6785898-RaDonda-Vaught-Letters.html, https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6542003-CMS-Complaint-Intake.html, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/25/1088902487/former-nurse-found-guilty-in-accidental-injection-death-of-75-year-old-patient, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/03/25/radonda-vaught-verdict-vanderbilt-nurse-guilty/7169480001/, https://www.nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2022-news-releases/statement-in-response-to-the-conviction-of-nurse-radonda-vaught/, https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/health/2020/03/03/vanderbilt-nurse-radonda-vaught-arrested-reckless-homicide-vecuronium-error/4826562002/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EbfOWLMkQw, RaDonda was working in the Neuro ICU and Neuro Step Down units at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, TN which is an acute care hospital with over 1,000 beds, She had been a nurse for approximately two years at this time, The patient was hospitalized for a subdural hematoma. In July 2021, the nursing board revoked Vaught's license and fined her $3,000. The fact that shes taking literally all of the blame and Vanderbilt just had to remediate but essentially no fines or discipline is pretty astonishing. This is often done with hospitals in malpractice situations to prevent negative publicity and a lengthy and expensive trial. I guess I am picky "I was at work when all this took place, so I didnt get to say bye to my mom. Vaught, 36, of Bethpage, has been criminally indicted on abuse and reckless homicide charges after she allegedly gave a patient the wrong medication, leading to her death. She gathered supplies to administer it, and then headed to Radiology with the orientee. Unfortunately, blame and punishment lead to repeat incidents because punishment is a very, very weak corrective action. The crowd outside listened to the hearing through loudspeakers and cheered when some of the victims relatives said they wouldnt want jail time for Vaught. They also held a moment of silence to remember Charlene Murphey. She thought it was Versed, but what she selected was Vecuronium. Reminder: Lorie has a brand new book coming out in May that goes over crucial things to know about protecting your license! Vaught's attorney, Peter Strianse, argued that his client made an honest mistake that did not constitute a crime and became a "scapegoat" for systemic problems related to medication cabinets at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2017. or redistributed. While as a nurse I wish it was not true that prosecutors proved this beyond a reasonable doubt, it would be disingenuous to say otherwise, as uncomfortable as admitting that might be. Aleece Ellison traveled from Texas to join them. These are egregious errors This isnt forgetting to cut a pill in half, programming a pump incorrectly, or missing an antibiotic dose There were so many steps she skipped . Examples of this include: A child left in a hot car, waiting too long to call 911 or an inattentive babysitter. RaDonda Vaught case: a double standard for nurses, physicians - STAT AACN Adv Crit Care 15 March 2023; 34 (1): 1115. So, how did charges get filed in the first place? Gayle Morris, BSN, MSN has over two decades of nursing practice with a clinical focus in rehabilitation medicine. After receiving the med, the patient would not be able to move, notify anyone, or breathe on her own. RaDonda Vaught and her attorney Peter Strianse listen as verdicts are read at the end of her trial in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday, March 25, 2022. . You couldn't get a bag of fluids for a patient without using an override function. Then you stated that 9. The patient suffered an anoxic brain injury. RaDonda immediately admitted what happened, and has never denied accountability. Health care delivery is highly complex. With great risk comes great responsibility, and we do so many risky things each day. RaDonda Vaught, a former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, had been found guilty in March of two charges, criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult, after a . He's 83 years old.". Explore these 100+ accredited nurse residency programs and uncover the pros and cons of enrollment. We finally have new Alzheimers drugs. The jury only deliberated for a matter of hours, which seems to clue us in on how strongly they felt about it, but convicting her of the lesser charge feels kind of like maybe they were trying to find some middle ground. [5], Robin Begley of the American Hospital Association said the case was likely to have a "chilling effect on the culture of safety in health care. Im a first semester nursing student, and we have to write a paper on Vaught to go over the 5 rights of med administration. Exclusive analysis of biotech, pharma, and the life sciences, By Michelle Collins and Cherie BurkeMay 13, 2022. Terry Bosen, Vanderbilt's pharmacy medication safety officer, testified that the hospital had some technical problems with medication cabinets in 2017 but that they were resolved weeks before Vaught pulled the wrong drug for Murphey. I think whats crucial during a really scary situation like this is to recognize what you can and cant control. They also confirm the settlement with the family. "[15], Nursing unions and other concerned organizations issued statements warning that Vaught's prosecution could set a precedent for criminalizing honest medical errors and lead to compromised patient care due to medical workers failing to report their errors out of fear of severe punishment. Back on March 25, Ms. Vaught was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide stemming from the death of a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2017. Now, RaDonda faces 2 legal proceedings: Criminal trial and professional hearing. After she is arrested and indicted, the TN Dept of Health decides to reverse its prior decision not to discipline her, but does not provide details on why completely changing their stance when the facts of the situation itself have not changed.

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