Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. If a board penalizes caregivers, they could appeal. Georgia Veterans Affairs (VA) physician Rajesh Motibhai Patel, MD, was accused of sexually assaulting four female patients during routine exams, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. Both the blood pressure medicine and the blood thinner are kept in, the same pharmacy at the medical center. The second day of testimony finished on Tuesday for RaDonda Vaught, a. "We don't believe that penalizing an individual that publicly is going to help a single patient. Either way, given the nature of the charges, Vaught will be labeled a convicted felon for the rest of her life. Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data. Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. Send story tips to k.fiore@medpagetoday.com. Ex-nurse found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in medication Florida nurse Luke Waski was arrested for allegedly taking a patient's phone and sending himself nude pictures and videos. Vanderbilt, TBI. Why Nurses Are Raging and Quitting After the RaDonda Vaught Verdict The deadliest mistake is to let an institution scapegoat a person. In March 2022, a jury found former Tennessee nurse RaDonda Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult after injecting a patient with the wrong medication, bypassing several safeguards and system warnings. All rights reserved. (Reuters). As Vaught waited for the verdict on Friday morning, she was continuously approached by local nurses who had come to the courthouse to support her. Shes been a medical journalist for more than a decade and her work has been recognized by Barlett & Steele, AHCJ, SABEW, and others. (ABC 57), A German cardiologist was arrested on murder charges for allegedly giving high doses of a sedative to two seriously ill patients in intensive care who later died. "We are seeing more adversarial attempts by different employers," Duncan said. What are the chances RaDonda Vaught could receive clemency? "They happened to choose the worst one in the toolbox.". Her case raises consequential questions about how nurses use computerized medication-dispensing cabinets. According to Black, the governor relies on the Board of Parole to preliminary review requests for clemency in non-capital cases. RaDonda Vaught: Who prosecuted ex-Tennessee nurse in criminal case You couldnt get a bag of fluids without using an override function,"Vaught testified. Vaught made a mistake that ordinarily would be difficult to make, because of the many safety checks that are usuallya part of a drug administration system. You dont do something that impacts a family like this, that impacts a life, and not carry that burden with you.. This story also ran on NPR. The RaDonda Vaught trial has been a major issue for the nursing community. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Donate to the Salvation Army Red Kettle Challenge. Itis that system which should be the object of scrutinythis case is a symptom of its failure. In addition to grabbing the wrong medicine, she failed to read the name of the drug, did not notice a red warning on the top of the medication, and did not stay with the patient to check for an adverse reaction, said nurse legal consultant Donna Jones. RaDonda Vaught, the former Tennessee nurse who was convicted of homicide last year after a deadly medication error, is petitioning the state's nursing board to get her license back. Much has been made of the factors that led RaDonda Vaught to mistakenly administer vecuronium instead of Versed, fatally injuring Charlene Murphey. The health system has locked medicine carts in the radiology department. Vaught, a former . Itwill cost people their lives: problem systems will be concealed from view, concerns for which the only solution is transparency will go unreported, institutions will further offload an untenable onus of responsibility onto their clinical people while hiding behind a cloud of online modules which produce deniability on paper but are devoid of any real training or education value. RaDonda Vaught speaks with reporters while waiting for the jury to deliver its verdict. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. RaDonda Vaught will appear in Tennessee court March 28 to appeal the state nursing board's 2021 decision to revoke her license, court records show. When Vaught could not find Versed in an automatic drug dispensing cabinet, she used an override and accidentally grabbed vecuronium instead. Everyone. While the case will spur communication that hopefully improves patient safety, punishing employees doesn't solve systemic problems, industry leaders and workers said. The RaDonda Vaught Case: Implications on Health Care and the Law Assistant District Attorney Chadwick Jackson told the jury in closing arguments, RaDonda Vaught acted recklessly, and Charlene Murphey died as a result of that. We weigh pragmatism too heavily over the morals we once held high. Hear from Tennessee's Black Voices: Get the weekly newsletter for powerful and critical thinking columns. . RaDonda Vaught homicide case - Wikipedia Concluding the interview, the former nurse reiterated that she takes responsibility for her actions, but stated that health care professionals have to work together. RaDonda Vaught verdict disregarded the nurse experience | Opinion Vanderbilt University Medical Center removed paralyzing agents from its medicine cabinets, including vecuronium, the drug Vaught mistakenly used on Murphey. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) While awaiting a Davidson County jury's decision, RaDonda Vaught, a former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse on trial for the death of a patient, said the impact of this case on the health care industry "is going to be tragic.". RaDonda Vaught, medication safety, and the profession of pharmacy Radonda Vaught Medical Error.docx - Course Hero Deep Dive: RaDonda Vaught Trial, Charges, and Timeline Nurses are expected to do more with less and don't feel supported by their employers, said Maria Nunez, an intensive care nurse at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California, and a member of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. Murphey had been admitted to the neurological ICU at Vanderbilt two days earlier and was prescribed the medication Versed, a sedative for her claustrophobia-related . ODER 25511 NURSE EDUCATOR PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT.docx. Ms. If we set aside the fact thatsolely blaming Vaught is morally wrong and ignore that she is not the only party at fault in this case, sentencing her further is still the worst practical choice. SILVER SPRING, MD-Today, a jury convicted former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse RaDonda Vaught of criminally negligent homicide and impaired adult abuse after she mistakenly administered the wrong medication that killed a patient in 2017. At Gray, our journalists report, write, edit and produce the news content that informs the communities we serve. On March 25, 2022, a jury found nurse RaDonda Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and felony abuse of an impaired adult. Former nurse RaDonda Vaught, whose medical error killed a patient Now when we tell the truth, were incriminating ourselves.. Danville, Pennsylvania-based Geisinger convened a team after Vaught's conviction to answer nurses' questions. Two days later, doctors trying to determine the cause of the bleed ordered a PET scan to check for cancer. Vaught faces three to six years in prison on the gross neglect conviction and one to two years on the criminally negligent homicide conviction. "The way you make patients safer is to improve systems. Have an opinion about this story? Today, a judge issued a sentence in the highly watched RaDonda Vaught trial. He was just the kindest person. (AP), The federal government lost its patent infringement lawsuit against Gilead regarding its HIV prevention drugs. A Nashville jury found RaDonda Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult. My healing process really started after that interaction with him.". Silver Spring, MD - Former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse RaDonda Vaught is being charged with reckless homicide and abuse of an impaired adult after mistakenly administering the wrong medication that killed an elderly patient in 2017. "Im not saying Im not responsible for my actions, not at all. Many asked whether Geisinger would have their backs in similar situations, Tomcavage said. Follow. That's something that will always be with me," she said. Opens in a new tab or window, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a new analysis from the American Medical Association, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. I messed up, and I owned my mistakes and I will pay the price for that. 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. (AP), Two transgender children, their parents, and two healthcare providers sued Montana over its gender-affirming care ban. This will not only cause nurses and doctors to not report medication errors, it will cause nurses to leave the profession, said Lambert, director of the Center for Communication and Health at Northwestern University. Updated 11:50 p.m. RaDonda Vaught, the former Vanderbilt nurse whose mistaken administration of a paralytic resulted in a patients death, was found guilty by a system that has failed to understand how safety is created in health care. Vaught, 38, was found guilty on Friday of two charges,. For years, workers have championed something known as Just Culture, under which healthcare facilities and employees work together to identify system failures. More:RaDonda Vaught verdict showed jurors didn't fully understand role of nurses | Opinion, More:I'm a former hospital administrator; prosecuting RaDonda Vaught may worsen safety | Opinion. State licensing boards would typically intervene and determine whether to discipline nurses. Borough of Berlin v. Remington & Vernick Eng'rs - CaseMine A jury of her peers would have all been ICU nurses, Garner said. Nurse Sentenced in Child's Death; Cardiologist Accused of Murder; VA The company also delivered memos on these subjects, had managers discuss workers' concerns during rounds and had its attorneys participate in nurses' meetings, she said. The patient, who needed a blood thinner, was given a blood pressure, drug instead. If Ms. Vaught wins the appeal, she will undergo a new trial with the Tennessee Board of Nursing over afatal medical error she made in 2017 while working as a nurse at Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The healthcare industry has historically struggled to foster transparent and open workplaces. Promote even . There are a lot of details of this case that have not made headlines, and because of that, I wanted to do a deep dive into what actually happened, an explanation of the trial, and what I think this means for our profession. Ms. Vaught immediately took responsibility for the error, which occurred after she overrode a medication cabinet, but contends that other factors and working conditions for nurses at the medical center contributed to the mistake. The immutable fact of this case is that Charlene Murphey is dead because RaDonda Vaught couldnt pay attention to what she was doing., Vaught said she is concerned that the verdict with cause other providers to be wary about coming forward to tell the truth. These businesses created systems of redundancies and cultures in which employees feel empowered to speak up, he said. You wouldnt run a red light just to save yourself some time, but what if the lights in your town were broken stuck on red. All rights reserved. Imprisoning this nurse will create more harm, not less. A few billion dollars may be shunted toward amelioration for a fraction of the damage they have inflicted. The group plans to meet monthly and have a strategy in place by the end of the year, she said. Healthcare professionals, already plagued by stressful working environments and staffing shortages exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, say they are afraid to do their jobs. 2023 www.tennessean.com. "We have fail-safe processes that don't allow nurses to be put in those spots," Tomcavage said. October 2015 RaDonda Vaught, a licensed nurse, begins working at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the largest hospital in Nashville and one of the most respected hospitals in the nation. "It's going to have the effect of people trying to cover up their potential mistakes or near misses.". I think it was a good reflection of the kind of person that Ms. Murphey was," she said. Former Tennessee nurse RaDonda Vaught found guilty in woman's death RaDonda Vaught case: a double standard for nurses, physicians - STAT The case of RaDonda Vaught highlights a double standard for nurses and physicians. "We need the support from the public to make sure that they know what we do is dangerous every day, and that the hospitals that employ us put us in this situation.". (Becker's Hospital Review), Kansas doctor Gautam Jayaswal, MD, pleaded guilty to a telemedicine scheme involving alleged unnecessary ordering of genetic testing and orthotic braces. Vaught administered the wrong drug to 75-year-old Charlene Murphey instead of . Were a little too results oriented. Janie Harvey Garner, who founded the nurse advocacy organization Show Me Your Stethoscope, disagreed. "When you are short-staffed, you're going to multi-task, you're going to run at a higher risk profile," Schubacker said. Why Nurses Are Raging and Quitting After the RaDonda Vaught Verdict. By: Caroline Sutton. His views do not represent his employer. Copyright © 2023 Becker's Healthcare. HISTORY AHT400 MEDIA CONTACTS: Shannon McClendon. RaDonda Vaught, a former Vanderbilt nurse now convicted in the death of a patient, faces up to eight years in prison. "It will make nurses more scared," said Tanya Leshko, an attorney at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. ANA Responds to the Trial of Nurse RaDonda Vaught | ANA At nurse RaDonda Vaught's trial, testimony points to Vanderbilt's - NPR Ex-nurse found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in medication error death, (Stephanie Amador/The Tennessean via AP, Pool), Earthquake confirmed near Western North Carolina border, Coroner identifies motorcycle driver in Spartanburg crash, Mom with 800 tattoos says she cant get a job, Iga Swiatek finally reaches the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Stopping there could stem further damage to health care, or perhaps even help it improve. After the interview, Vaught was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult charges following the 2017 death of Charlene Murphey. Many of her peers have stepped away from nursing because of burnout or fear of making a mistake, Nunez said. On March 25, about 2,400 miles away in a Tennessee courtroom, former nurse RaDonda Vaught was convicted of two felonies and now faces eight years in prison for a fatal medication mistake. I think it's going to be quite the opposite," Schubacker said. Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on Facebook. Prosecutors alleged the groups billed for services performed by physicians when they were actually performed by advanced practice providers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. What they did here, for whatever reason, is approach an individual incident in a very punitive manner.". Almost a third of physicians in the U.S. have been sued during their career, according to a new analysis from the American Medical Association. She said she had not considered whether she would appeal. As the CEO of Inova Health System, the leading nonprofit health care provider in the Washington, D.C . NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) It's been five days since former nurse, RaDonda Vaught, was convicted on two counts of the death of a patient after a medicine mix-up. Kristina Fiore, Director of Enterprise & Investigative Reporting, MedPage Today Your decision could not be analyzed without that context. Supporters of former nurse RaDonda Vaught advocate for the healthcare safety strategy known as "Just Culture" outside a courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 13. when they will seem like self-serving appeals for sympathy or leniency. RaDonda Vaught verdict showed jurors didn't fully understand role of nurses | Opinion, I'm a former hospital administrator; prosecuting RaDonda Vaught may worsen safety | Opinion. Cookie Policy. It's unlikely that this case will spur similar criminal charges every time someone makes a medical error, said Carol Michel, a partner at Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial. Whats happened here is that health care has been completely changed, Garner said in a phone interview. What if you needed to be someplace urgently andsomeone's suffering depended upon it? ". To lose her professional license and be burdened for life with immeasurable guilt is adequate punishment. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Prior to the sentencing, Vaught said that she didnt regret honestly admitting her mistake. Now, you are looking at a criminal prosecution on top of losing your license," Michel said. I think thats where the focus needs to be.". RaDonda Vaught Sentenced To 3 Years Supervised Probation Medics see it. Isnt that the very thing it purports to punish? Opens in a new tab or window, Visit us on YouTube. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. Ive been very clear with everyone Ive spoken with the TN Department of Health, multiple investigators. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Donate to the Salvation Army Red Kettle Challenge. Opens in a new tab or window, Share on Twitter. This also portrays a lack of seriousness which resulted in the, medical error. Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns. Zachary Levine. I dont think the take-away from this is not to be honest and truthful.. Even if Vaught is granted clemency, sentencing must take place first. Former nurse RaDonda Vaught was sentenced to three years' supervised probation Friday in a Tennessee court. 20052022 MedPage Today, LLC, a Ziff Davis company. I have not shied away from my responsibility but health care is a system.