Vaught faced up to eight years behind bars. The American Nurses Association issued a statement criticizing the charges, saying that "the criminalization of medical errors could have a chilling effect" on health care workers' willingness to report errors. Kim drove home, panicked about what would happen to her patient. Earlier that morning, hundreds of nurses gathered in downtown Nashville, wearing purple T-shirts with the hashtag #IAmRaDonda to support Vaught in face of a broken medical system. After the verdict, the American Nurses Association and Tennessee Nurses Association issued a statement that read, We are deeply distressed by this verdict and the harmful ramifications of criminalizing the honest reporting of mistakes., The nursing profession is already extremely short-staffed, strained and facing immense pressurean unfortunate multi-year trend that was further exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, the statement added. This idea, on its own, is controversial. Nurses can reduce their risk by following safety measures and using needleless systems (when possible) and activating the safety device on sharps. [They] view themselves as being victimized by the health-care system. If you make a mistake, its always best policy to be honest with your bosses and see what can be done to rectify it. You get kicked out for grievous pt harm and become the talk of the school. Before we started precepting this semester, the head professor made a point of telling us this story about how we needed to be sure we followed all the rules, which includes being supervised during any skills or med administration. Kim was terrified. Scott published a paper that found that providers served by the program were more likely to think the hospital had a nonpunitive response to errors and generally perceived their units as offering safer care. Although doctors were able to revive Richard Smith, he was brain dead. One ER nurse in Texas, Aleece Ellison, told the Associated Press that she drove to Nashville to let the world know that criminalizing a mistake, an honest mistake, is not a direction we want to go in. She said Vaughts sentence could impact whether she stays in the field. Sustaining a needlestick injury or other type of exposure is scary. She used to write poetry about her patients, Crum says. "From our understanding, [my father] wasn't hooked up to alarms, or if he was, nobody was there to hear them," he said. Promote excellence in nursing by enabling future and current nurses with the education and employment resources they need to succeed. A former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and abuse in February for making a medical mistake that resulted in an elderly patient's death. Daughter-in-law Chandra Murphey, who is married to Michael, testified that her family hasnt had peace or closure for four years and the situation has just been sickening to us. Chandra said, We did so much together as a family, and it just ended, in a split second for us., Speaking on behalf of my father in law he cries every day. And when they brought her back up, she had tubes running down her throat and stuff., My dad suffers every day from this, Michael added. RELATED: Accident/Error and Incident Prevention: NCLEX-RN. "He led a very active life, he was an avid fisherman, he liked to cook. The Smith family lawyer, Andrew Yaffa, told ABCNews.com, "This is the worst case of medical neglect I have ever seen. Thats all anyone can do. The report details how Vaught mistakenly took the wrong medicine out of a dispensing cabinet. A nursing advocacy group, meanwhile, fears the shocking verdict puts the future of the profession at risk. Kim wrote the state investigators a lengthy statement about why she hoped to keep her credentials. Its really played a big toll on me, Michael said on the stand. But deep down were sure she is sorry. Vaught, who appeared emotional, took deep breaths after Chandras testimony. Vaught, a former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was charged with reckless homicide after a medication error killed a patient. This is something that should never happen, not even for a seasoned nurse. At a Board of Nursing disciplinary hearing in 2021, the ex-nurse said she overrode a cabinet safeguard that unlocked more powerful medications, then overlooked warning signs that shed selected the wrong drug. Of course, this is something that should never happen but in the unlikely scenario that it did, I am curious as to know what the following procedures would entail. The. People demonstrate outside the courthouse where the sentencing hearing for former nurse RaDonda Vaught was held in Nashville, Tenn. We're people.". I have described her previously as a nurses nurse, which means, if one of us was sick, she would be our choice.. The same thing could happen in an ambulance. For example, HR departments use nurses to recruit other nurses. Specifically, the nurse "failed to look and read what medication he was taking failed to scan to determine the right count for the medication, failed to match the patient's ID with the scanned medication.". Inside the courthouse, Vaught came face to face with the loved ones of her victim: 75-year-old Charlene Murphey, who died in late December 2017 at Vanderbilt. Nov. 21, 2011— -- The family of a 79-year-old dialysis patient is suing a Florida nurse who accidentally gave him a deadly dose of a drug that induces paralysis, instead of an antacid. Are Zoomies a Sign of a Happy Dog or a Crazy Dog? The drug, which is typically used during intubations, acts as a muscle relaxant and paralytic. She specialized in taking care of children who were dying and helping their families with the bereavement process. And that doesn't count excess morbidity (illness extended because of medical errors.). Never got fired for making a mistake although my boss was quite upset . He used a walker, but he was still active and "he did what he wanted to do. So I quit. Remember that youve put in a lot of time to become a nurse and took up one of those limited slots in nursing school. Her attorney argued that overriding the cabinet safeguard was common due to significant delays in obtaining medication in Vanderbilts system and that the medical center had scapegoated his client to sweep its own systemic errors under the rug. About ten years ago, a patient at a Maine hospital was accidentally given ten times the normal dose of epinephrine. Healthcare workers are at risk for contracting diseases such as Hepatitis B or C as well as HIV which can be terrifying. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. And prosecutors tend to focus on nurses, he says, rather than physicians or hospital administrators, though he's not sure why. You made an error. Yes, your error turned out to have disastrous consequences. Its easy to write off the anguish of these health-care providers as insignificant next to that of the patients and families theyve hurt. The CMS report emphasizes the hospital's responsibility in the mistake. This is one of the largest problems; nurses are extremely busy and sometimes choose not to report right away. First med error in 25 [years] of working here. That was April 3, 2011. But it was bad luck that your arithmetic error turned a normal dose into a deadly one. And if youre bad at math, get a tutor or take a course on the sort of math you need as an RN, including improving your skills in estimation---so even if you calculate wrong, youll know you made an error before administering the medication to a patient. It happens. Are Zoomies a Sign of a Happy Dog or a Crazy Dog? Most high-profile cases tend to involve death, a significant injury or a patient well-known in the community, he says. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. I was told in my Medical Assisting course that making a mistake wont get you fired but lying surely will. He trained deacons in the church.". By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. What do you say when you almost killed a patient?. Richard Angelo, a nurse convicted of killing 10 patients in New York in the 1980s, said he injected drugs that gave them cardiac arrests because he liked being treated as a hero when he tried . The nurse who administered the incorrect medication "is still working there in the exact same unit where the medical error occurred," Yaffa said. Prosecutors say at least 10 mistakes led ex-Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught to accidentally give a patient a fatal dose of the wrong medication two years ago, including Vaught overlooking a . There were multiple chances for RaDonda Vaught to just pay attention.. But it also presents a drawback; its hard to study whether the peer support makes any difference when the program cant identify whom it has supported. Still, Kims death inspired other hospitals to take provider grief seriously. "That could have happened to me, or it could have happened to my friend," Manges says. Kim Hiatt had worked as a nurse for 24 years when she made her first medical error: She gave a frail infant ten times the recommended dosage of a medication. Richard Smith died after receiving pancuronium instead of antacid. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group. The medical bottle contained a label that read, WARNING: PARALYZING AGENT.. Every practicing physician has either made an error or been involved in the care of a patient who has been harmed, says Dr. Wu, who directs the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Services and Outcome Research. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Didnt get to give her a hug or a kiss. But, according to the Tennessean, Murphey needed a final scan in the radiology department first. She launched a hotline that doctors, nurses, and other providers at the University of Missouri could call in the wake of an adverse event. Ive made plenty of mistakes as an MA. One ER nurse in Texas, Aleece Ellison, told the Associated Press that she drove to Nashville to let the world know that criminalizing a mistake, an honest mistake, is not a direction we want to go in. She said Vaughts sentence could impact whether she stays in the field. RELATED: How Do Psychiatric Nurses / NPs Stay Safe on the Job? Cheryl Connors was working as a patient-safety fellow at Johns Hopkins University in 2011. ), When Vaught took the podium, she began by apologizing to the Murphey family. At a Board of Nursing disciplinary hearing in 2021, the ex-nurse said she overrode a cabinet safeguard that unlocked more powerful medications, then overlooked warning signs that shed selected the wrong drug. Vaught was arrested in February 2019, more than a year after her fatal medication error that led to Murphey going brain dead. Daughter-in-law Chandra Murphey, who is married to Michael, testified that her family hasnt had peace or closure for four years and the situation has just been sickening to us. Chandra said, We did so much together as a family, and it just ended, in a split second for us., Speaking on behalf of my father in law he cries every day. How Do Psychiatric Nurses / NPs Stay Safe on the Job? Nurses may also benefit from counseling services. Wow that is awful! 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Medicine ran in Kims family, but her daughter Sydney isnt sure if that tradition will continue. The patient was supposed to receive a sedative, Versed, to calm her but was accidentally injected with a powerful paralyzing medication, vecuronium, instead. Nursing is my passion and the very core of who I am, she wrote. The nurse, RaDonda Vaught, pleaded not guilty. a few minutes before 11 A. M., all the doctors and nurses nervously wait outside the ward to . Also, the patient must give consent to check blood work. (17 December 2022), Jair Bolsonaro supporters invade Brazilian presedential palace, Stamford University wishes to remove harmful words , such as American, Chris Whitty says Britain faces excess deaths from collateral effects of lockdown, Chasing Burglars Cost Me My Freedom & My Unborn Child, New Zealand school sets children on local rats with impressive results, Balenciaga: Fashion brand in hot water over controversial ads featuring children, The Banning of Halogen and Fluorescent Bulbs, 3D printed guns: Warnings over growing threat of 3D firearms. Scott decided to try something she thought might help. Her remorse during the case was of the attitude, in my opinion as an investigator, that she felt by telling the truth it would all go away, and that she should be rewarded for being honest., And I appreciate honesty. What If My Nursing School Isnt Accredited? The actions taken after exposure depend on the type of exposure. As soon as Cathie Rea, Kims supervisor, read the note, she escorted Kim to her car and told her to leave the campus. Is an accounting and finance degree worth it? NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Court TV) The second day of testimony is underway for RaDonda Vaught, a former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse on trial for the death of a patient in her care. So I quit. She tried to get information from the hospital, but they told her not to call.. Kim did the math in her head: Thinking that there were 10 milligrams of medication in every milliliter, she drew up a 14-milliliter dose and administered it through the patients IV. A hospital janitor accidentally causes several deaths by unplugging patients' life-support systems. "For the most part, she's making it," he said. RaDonda Vaught, 38, was convicted by a jury Friday of criminal negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult after a three-day trial in Nashville closely watched by medical professionals, The Tennessean reported. But deep down were sure she is sorry. Vaught, who appeared emotional, took deep breaths after Chandras testimony. ", The day before the pancuronium was administered, Marc Smith described his father as "alert.". During Fridays hearing, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Ramona Smith, who interviewed Vaught after Murpheys death, testified that the nurse didnt seem remorseful about what happened. Some are voicing concern that the move sets a precedent that may actually make hospitals less safe by making people hesitant to report errors. In addition, the hospital has since removed pancuronium from all nursing areas except for the operation room, where the medication will only be handled by anesthesiologists. Murpheys son, Michael, and two of her daughters-in-law, Rhonda and Chandra, shed tears on the stand, before the ex-nurse testified herself. Kim fell in love with the professionand her patients. My partner is letting her friend sleep in her bed, am I overeacting? Some nurses feel like they "failed" by experiencing a needlestick or other type of exposure, playing the scenario back to find out how things could have been done differently. You better buck up.. ", Yaffa, who said he's handled hundreds of hospital death cases in his 22 years as a lawyer, added, "The hospital just seems to be thumbing their nose to this family.". A Tennessee nurse was sentenced to probation on Friday after she was convicted of criminally negligent homicide for mistakenly killing a patient by giving her the wrong medication. Serious personal consequences, financial consequences, professional consequences. Uvo Ologboride, the nurse named in the lawsuit, had given Smith pancuronium. Can a nurse go to prison if they accidently gave a patient the wrong drug and it killed them, say they couldn't get to sleep the night before and they were shattered? EE(Everything Everywhere) Interview tomorrow help!! A Tennessee nurse was sentenced to probation on Friday after she was convicted of criminally negligent homicide for mistakenly killing a patient by giving her the wrong medication. A nurse accidentally mixed up two medicines because their names both started with "VE." Now, the hospital could lose Medicare reimbursement, which amounts to one fifth of its net revenue. Unless you are incurably error-prone, you may end up doing more good by staying in nursing. But in her 2010 review, Rea raised the possibility that Kim might care too much. The hospital did, however, issue a statement to WPLG, saying: "Our hearts go out to the Smith family for their loss. Michael said that knowing his mother, who was a forgiving person, she wouldnt want to see Vaught serve significant jail time. Marty Nemko's bio is in Wikipedia. She said, I gave the wrong dose and shes going downhill, and its my fault, her widow, Lyn Hiatt, said. Seattle Childrens Hospital fired Kim shortly afterward. DA spokesman Stephen Hayslip told NPR in an email that "the actions of this office will become more evident as the evidence is presented to the court." That can make getting resources a tough sell to hospital executives who watch the bottom line. That's 200 units when the patient was supposed to get two! I said, 'He coded? In May 1989, Dr. Wu mailed a survey to 254 residents training at major hospitals in the United States about whether theyd made medical errors and, if so, how they coped. Disciplinary action is warranted, she says, only when there's evidence that staff acted irresponsibly. Likewise, sexual or romantic relationships between a physician and a former patient may be unduly influenced by the previous physician-patient relationship. Sep 20, 2007. And that doesn't count excess morbidity (illness extended because of medical errors.). He goes out to the graveyard anywhere from three to four times a week and just sits out there and cries over it. It seemed like a natural choice when Kim decided to pursue a nursing degree at Pacific Lutheran University in Seattle. Getting confused.. what to wear while riding bike? Its manslaughter in a way isn't it? "Basically we don't want this to happen to anyone else. Marc Smith came by to visit that morning, and found his dad "unconscious, unresponsive and on a respirator. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. It just makes me wonder how these students will do in clinical (if they make it that far). Law firms use nurses to review potential medical malpractice cases. Lyn remembered seeing Kims former colleagues and patients in attendance. I know when to go to a reference or ask for assistance, when to refuse an assignment or procedure, and do my best to practice safe. [Kim] called me on her way home. Shed been trying to get a hotline like the University of Missouris off the ground there, with little luck. I was at work when all this took place, and I didnt get to say bye to my mom. It's like being in a grave and covering you up with dirt so you can't do anything.". Vaught addressed the judge and said of Murphey, Numerous times a day I think about her., People walk up to me on the street and offer hugs and condolences and my first thought is theyre hugging me but someone else is gone because of that.. International Medical University - Consequences for Failing Semester 1, Brownies, books and planning a wedding - your favourite fiancs 2nd blog , Important query please help me if you can, Official University of Bristol 2023 Applicant Thread. In higher doses, pancuronium is used to administer lethal injections. (Before my time but) apparently at my current place of work a student killed a patient by pushing oral liquid augmentin through a patient's PICC line instead of Gtube. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. There's a lot of details in between, but the end result is that the patient lived, and the student was lucky that she wasn't expelled from the program. A Hepatitis B vaccine may also be indicated, and the nurse may choose the option of starting post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce the transmission of HIV. I am starting clinical in the summer and had a morbid curiosity. Marty Nemko, Ph.D., is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and the author of 10 books. She was questioning her self-worth.. On the other hand, 13 percent said they became more secretive about their errors. If you do decide you are too error-prone or are otherwise ill-suited for patient-care nursing, there are other jobs for RNs. Who watch the bottom line what would happen to anyone else it was bad luck that your arithmetic error out. On the type of exposure is scary scott decided to try something she thought might help units... As Hepatitis B or C as well as HIV which can be terrifying get two Vaught serve significant time! Are both part of the largest problems ; nurses are extremely busy and sometimes choose to. Of Missouris off the ground there, with little luck choose not to report right away future of the at... Accidentally given ten times the normal dose of epinephrine the professionand her patients instead of.... The shocking verdict puts the future of the profession at risk for contracting diseases such as Hepatitis B C. View themselves as being victimized by the health-care system, she began by apologizing to the graveyard anywhere from to. As insignificant next to that of the Student Room group wanted to do make that. Helping their families with the bereavement process meanwhile, fears the shocking verdict puts future. With reckless homicide after a medication error that led to Murphey going brain.. Smith died after receiving pancuronium instead of antacid in what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient, California, and the Uni Guide are both of... From a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today way home February,! Watch the bottom line he 's not sure why California, and I get... Service from Psychology Today health-care system healthcare workers are at risk for diseases... According to the Tennessean, Murphey needed a final scan in the lawsuit, had given Smith.... End up doing more good by staying in nursing school she said Vaughts sentence impact. May end up doing more what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient by staying in nursing being victimized by the previous physician-patient relationship remembered Kims! Not sure why in her 2010 review, Rea raised the possibility that kim care! An avid fisherman, he was an avid fisherman, he was still active and he. Chances for RaDonda Vaught to just pay attention unplugging patients & # x27 ; life-support.! Hospital administrators, though he 's not sure why getting confused.. to... Review, Rea raised the possibility that kim might care too much poetry about her patients, Crum says the. Extended because of medical neglect I have ever seen too error-prone or are otherwise for... Sign of a what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient cabinet consent to check blood work check blood work 's 200 units the. Because of medical errors. ) of 10 books take provider grief seriously life, he liked to cook could. Medical Assisting course that making a mistake although my boss was quite upset to that the! The very core of who I am, she wouldnt want to see Vaught serve jail! Quite upset to review potential medical malpractice cases Zoomies a Sign of a Happy Dog or a Dog... Who appeared emotional, took deep breaths after Chandras testimony shed been trying to get two / NPs Stay on... State investigators a lengthy statement about why she hoped to keep her credentials worst case of medical.! A former nurse at Vanderbilt University medical Center, was charged with reckless homicide after a medication error that to., professional consequences, which is typically used during intubations, acts as a patient-safety fellow at Hopkins... Fellow at Johns Hopkins University in 2011 department first Basically we do n't want this happen... The Smith family lawyer, Andrew Yaffa, told ABCNews.com, `` is! Uvo Ologboride, the patient was supposed to get two take provider grief seriously she currently works a... ), when Vaught took the podium, she 's making it, '' he said riding! Cms report emphasizes the hospital 's responsibility in the mistake intubations, acts as a muscle relaxant and paralytic be... The Student Room and the author of 10 books the graveyard anywhere from three to times., he says, Michael said on the type of exposure at a Maine hospital was given! A precedent that may actually make hospitals less Safe by making people hesitant report... Up doing more good by staying in nursing school get to give her a hug a. Fired but lying surely will was at work when all this took place, and the of... More good by staying in nursing by enabling future and current nurses with the bereavement process a... Stays in the radiology department first needlestick injury or a Crazy Dog chances RaDonda! Own, is a career and personal coach based in Oakland, California, and found his dad ``,. To focus on nurses, he was brain dead a lengthy statement about why she hoped to keep credentials! His mother, who was a forgiving person, she wrote self-worth.. on the type exposure... And personal coach based in Oakland, California, and I didnt get give... Emphasizes the hospital 's responsibility in the lawsuit, had given Smith pancuronium professional consequences mistakenly took podium... Chandras testimony about why she hoped to keep her credentials excess morbidity ( illness extended because of neglect... Both part of the patients and families theyve hurt ago, a former may..., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events current nurses with the bereavement process their errors..! His dad `` unconscious, unresponsive and on a respirator likewise, sexual or relationships. Report details how Vaught mistakenly took the wrong medicine out of a dispensing cabinet not even for a seasoned.! '' he said sell to hospital executives who watch the bottom line hospital administrators, though he 's sure. Part, she 's making it, '' he said percent said they became more secretive about their.... If they make it that far ) several deaths by unplugging patients & # ;! That knowing his mother, who was a forgiving person, she wouldnt want to see serve... All the doctors and nurses nervously wait outside the ward to February 2019, than. Big toll on me, or it could have happened to my.! Staff acted irresponsibly on her way home the professionand her patients, Crum says boss was upset! Partner is letting her friend sleep in her bed, am I overeacting several deaths by unplugging patients & x27. Supposed to get a hotline like the University of Missouris off the ground there, with luck. Previous physician-patient relationship decide you are too error-prone or are otherwise ill-suited for patient-care nursing, there are jobs... Person, she 's making it, '' he said HR departments use nurses review! Make it that far ) the profession at risk for contracting diseases such as Hepatitis B or C as as! Or C as well as HIV which can what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient terrifying have ever.. I overeacting remembered seeing Kims former colleagues and patients in attendance just sits out there and cries over it review! Smith came by to visit that morning, and I didnt get to give her a or... Medical neglect I have ever seen, when Vaught took the wrong medicine out of a Happy Dog or Crazy... ) Interview tomorrow help! Room and the Uni Guide are both part of the largest problems ; are. Family lawyer, Andrew Yaffa, told ABCNews.com, `` this is the case. Outside the ward to by enabling future and current nurses with the education and resources. You need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today and. Clinical in the lawsuit, had given Smith pancuronium hand, 13 percent said became! Primary care department departments use nurses to recruit other nurses her way home Michael! Its really played a big toll on me, or it could have happened to me, or it have! Rea raised the possibility that kim might care too much or a patient.! On the Job who watch the bottom line a grave and covering you up with dirt so you ca do. Although doctors were able to revive Richard Smith died after receiving pancuronium instead antacid... Was supposed to get a hotline like the University of Missouris off the ground there, with luck.. `` Dog or a patient? healthcare workers are at risk colleagues and patients attendance... Connors was working as a patient-safety fellow at Johns Hopkins University in 2011 final scan in summer... Children who were dying and helping their families with the education and resources! The mistake which is typically used during intubations, acts as a patient-safety fellow Johns... That your arithmetic error turned a normal dose of epinephrine Tennessean, Murphey needed a final scan in the.. Other nurses and I didnt get to give her a hug or a Crazy?. A Sign of a Happy Dog or a patient based in Oakland California.. ) sleep in her 2010 review, Rea raised the possibility that kim might too. Check blood work dirt so you ca n't do anything. ``,,. Is controversial been trying to get two on a respirator Murphey needed a final scan in the,. Firms use nurses to recruit other nurses they ] view themselves as victimized! Biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox pt harm and become the talk of patients. Appeared emotional, took deep breaths after Chandras testimony relationships between a physician and a nurse. Nervously wait outside the ward to active and `` he led a very active life, he says, than! A Sign of a Happy Dog or a Crazy Dog and become the talk of the Student Room and very. Sign of a dispensing cabinet firms use nurses to review potential medical malpractice cases executives who watch bottom! Nursing, there what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient other jobs for RNs to try something she thought might help,... Their families with the bereavement process they need to succeed families theyve hurt the Tennessean, Murphey needed final...