The woman had initially checked into the hospital with a subdural hematoma. She was intubated and suffered irreversible brain injuries, likely resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain.. Seattle Childrens Hospital fired Kim shortly afterward. She has no criminal record, shes been removed from the health care setting, she will never practice nursing again. And now public consequences in a criminal setting.. There would be an investigation by the hospital. Some safety experts at other hospitals say theyve faced opposition from patient advocacy groups, which argue that the providers committing harm shouldnt get these resources. Vaught was arrested in February 2019, more than a year after her fatal medication error that led to Murphey going brain dead. Getting confused.. what to wear while riding bike? Hed been told to study what you know. He knew, from firsthand experience, that his fellow residents made mistakes, sometimes serious ones. People were pretty devastated, but they were not talking to anyone about it.. They would go through the hospital's procedures of when an accidental death happens. 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. 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. You better buck up.. Yes he was old and yes, it was my first significant error in three years as a nurse, but still, I am devastated. Subsequent blood work (for at least six months) to monitor conversion status may also be indicated. The same thing could happen in an ambulance. She used to write poetry about her patients, Crum says. What RaDonda Vaughts conviction means is if a nurse makes a medication error, rather than this being an administrative issue as it has been for decades, nurses can face criminal charges such as neglect, assault, and homicide, Show Me Your Stethoscope said in a statement. His 8th book, just published, is The Best of Marty Nemko. 2023 ** Borders and Enforcement, Crime & Compliance - ICE - Immigration Officers. Didnt get to give her a hug or a kiss. A nurse drew a blood sample that showed her calcium levels to be elevated. He couldn't call out for help, he couldn't push a button. But we forgive her my mother-in-law would want her to be forgiven, and jail time is not an option to me for her., Still, Chandra added of Vaught, In the past 4.5 years, our familys been waiting, and it would have been nice to have heard, at least, Im sorry, come out of her mouth, and it hasnt. Vaught's nursing license was revoked during a Friday hearing by the state Board of Nursing, WTVF reported. I was at work when all this took place, and I didnt get to say bye to my mom. Especially with millions more Americans who will now have to be cared for because of ObamaCare, there will be a nursing shortage. "We work in environments that are fast-paced," she says. Sustaining a needlestick injury or other type of exposure is scary. Prosecutors accused Vaught of disregarding warnings when she grabbed the wrong drug from an electronic dispensing cabinet that required her to search for it by name. "They did it on a teacher's salary, but we never wanted for anything growing up.". But it doesnt take away accountability, and I dont think that she feels she should be accountable. Vaught, a former nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was charged with reckless homicide after a medication error killed a patient. I suppose it would be the same thing you would feel if you felt you were at fault for a childs death.. Now its up to five. Kim, you do a great job at the bedside with your patients and families, wrote Rea, who ran Seattle Childrens Hospitals intensive care units. That can make getting resources a tough sell to hospital executives who watch the bottom line. Two days later, her condition improved and she was preparing to discharge from the hospital. Criminal charges for a medical error are unusual, patient safety experts say. Most American hospitals arent there yet. ", 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.". Nursing is my passion and the very core of who I am, she wrote. The patient died five days after the error. She feels someone else should be accountable., After the agents testimony, Vanderbilt nurse Elizabeth Kessinger testified that she helped train Vaught, who she described as motivated and resilient., She always went above and beyond with the patients. The report details how Vaught mistakenly took the wrong medicine out of a dispensing cabinet. Problems tend to happen in busy, unpredictable circumstances, Manges says. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Kim drove home, panicked about what would happen to her patient. She calls Vaught's case "unprecedented" because neither of these factors are cited in the CMS report. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Someone has to pay the price, and its really easy to say, Just let her do it, Vaught said prior to the verdict. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. Never got fired for making a mistake although my boss was quite upset . I said, 'He coded? Cristina ByvikSue Scott remembers when her first patient died. When the Institute of Medicine now known as the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine put out a major 1999 report titled To Err Is Human, Manges says, it became the norm to focus less on punishment and more on learning from mistakes. Richard Smith, who had a history of kidney disease, had been admitted to the ICU after a dialysis session where he experienced severe shortness of breath. For example, many hospitals require a nurse to scan a bar code from the pharmacy and on the patient's identifying bracelet before giving a medication, or to use preprogrammed intravenous pumps that prevent medications from being administered too quickly. Wow that is awful! I hope that they are also just as relieved to be moving away from this process that has been held up in the legal system for four and a half years.. A former nurse in Tennessee has been convicted in the accidental death of a patient after she injected her with a paralyzing drug instead of a sedative. When nurses are fatigued or have many tasks occupying their attention, that's when safety checks are most important, she adds. How Nurses Can Promote Vaccines Without Promoting Vaccines, CDC Estimates of Nurse & Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Cases Are Likely Understated, How Nurses Are Keeping Up With Practice Agreement Changes During COVID-19, Lend Your Ears: How Nurses Can Benefit From Binaural Beats, What to Do When Your Patients Complaint Isnt Coronavirus-Related. 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. It happens. Most high-profile cases tend to involve death, a significant injury or a patient well-known in the community, he says. A nursing advocacy group, meanwhile, fears the shocking verdict puts the future of the profession at risk. Likewise, sexual or romantic relationships between a physician and a former patient may be unduly influenced by the previous physician-patient relationship. Published: 11:37 ET, Mar 24 2022 Updated: 14:53 ET, Mar 24 2022 A FORMER nurse who killed a patient by giving her the wrong drug has gone on trial this week over the fatal error. Some of them said the errors helped them get better at their jobs by, for example, making them more careful about checking data. She was worried about the parents. 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. Stephanie Amador/The Tennessean via AP, Pool Prosecutors said the. Dads 83 years old, and you know, its hard to sit back and see him suffering and crying and stuff over all this.. Every nurse I've ever encountered has their cautionary tale that they share in the hopes that others won't make the same mistake. She was good at her job, and she knew it.. Answer (1 of 6): Nurses don't prescribe pain killers, Nurse practitioners work under the supervision of doctors and can write scripts for some medications but most state license regulations with which I am familiar require physicians to write the order for pain killers. The case is inspiring calls for policies that support nurses, and patients . The groups founder said what happened to Vaught couldve happened to anyone in such a demanding job. It hurts us to see him hurt so bad, and he has stated that he wanted her to have the max, Chandra said. Im wondering if its premature to have quit nursing. She goes, But no matter how well I do, Im never going to be able to practice nursing. The next day, July 30, 2010, he complained of an upset stomach, so the doctor prescribed the antacid. 1. I calculated the . Kim was terrified. It seemed like a natural choice when Kim decided to pursue a nursing degree at Pacific Lutheran University in Seattle. After the ruling, Vaught broke down in tears, resting her head on the defense table and shaking. Then, during a meeting, someone mentioned Kims story. If you do decide you are too error-prone or are otherwise ill-suited for patient-care nursing, there are other jobs for RNs. The medical bottle contained a label that read, WARNING: PARALYZING AGENT.. Thats all anyone can do. A community for nursing students and nurses who love students. How to Return to a Nursing Career After a Hiatus, RN Licensure: Get a Nursing License in Your State. Lyn remembered seeing Kims former colleagues and patients in attendance. Rinse and wash the area well with running water and soap. Prosecutors said the unintentional drug switch-up left Murphey unable to breathe. She began her career working night shifts on a pediatric/ med-surg unit for six years, later transferring to a telemetry unit where she worked for four more years. ", "The nurse said my dad had coded. Smith ordered Vaught to serve supervised probation for three years and said she would defer judgment pending successful completion of the probation. It just makes me wonder how these students will do in clinical (if they make it that far). It's also a good idea to flush out your . What sort of job could an RN do that doesnt put lives in jeopardy? Vaught faced up to eight years behind bars. Sydney saw the anguish her mother went through when her patient died. That was really our impetus to take action, Connors said. The patient was supposed to receive a sedative, Versed, to calm her but was accidentally injected with a powerful paralyzing medication, vecuronium, instead. She specialized in taking care of children who were dying and helping their families with the bereavement process. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. In some cases, the patient is contacted and blood work ordered to check Hepatitis B and C status as well as HIV. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. First med error in 25 [years] of working here. Vaughts sentencing has been set for May 13. In March, a jury found Vaught guilty of gross neglect of an impaired adult and negligent homicide after a three-day trial. Still, some employees note that this doesnt address the other tragedy that took place: Kims anguish and subsequent suicide. In the spring, she explored new health-oriented careers and took an adult life-support class the first weekend of April 2011. Vaught admitted to the error and a coroner later found Murpheys manner of death to be accidental, The Tennessean previously reported. Did the students malpractice insurance have to be used? Then again at the end of the day its just a mistake in a job where you dedicate your life to helping people. 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. The actions taken after exposure depend on the type of exposure. This idea, on its own, is controversial. After Kim arrived home, Lyn and their son decided to take a walk to a nearby restaurant. Cheryl Connors was working as a patient-safety fellow at Johns Hopkins University in 2011. And that doesn't count excess morbidity (illness extended because of medical errors.). At the same time, she approaches the field with some trepidation. You made an error. 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. What would happen if a student accidentally killed a patient during clinical? 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