Source: NPR https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/05/13/1098867553/nurse-sentenced-probation
This is a tough one. Did she make a grave mistake? Yes. Did she do it intentionally? No. Did she take accountability immediately? Yes. Did the hospital defend their employee? No. Did they fail to report the accident on Murphey's death certificate? Yes. They paid the family out of court and attached a gag order. 👇🏼 There are no winners here. The Murphey's lost their loved one, and RaDonda Vaught lost her livelihood, nursing license, paid fines, and will serve three years probation. 👇🏼 These mistakes happen way too often; however, it seems that RaDonda Vaught was a sacrificial lamb to Vanderbilt Hospital. This happened pre #covid so we can't blame the #pandemic. #Healthcare is more taxed and stressed today. Do your homework and ask the tough questions. This was not an accident or trauma. It was a routine scheduled CAT scan on a #patient that had anxiety and was given the wrong #medicine that ultimately killed her. 👇🏼 RaDonda Vaught was able to access the wrong #medicine in the hospital's computerized medication cabinet by an override function which made it possible to withdraw medications not prescribed. I'll bet this case will put more #safeguards in place for medication access. This is a tragedy in which there are no winners. 👇🏼 RaDonda Vaught, a former Tennessee nurse convicted of two felonies for a fatal drug error, whose trial became a rallying cry for nurses fearful of the criminalization of medical mistakes, will not be required to spend any time in prison. #nurse #nurses #hospital #medical #medicine #healthcare #trauma #covid #medicalmistake #medicalmalpractice #doctor #patientadvocacy #notinvainapromisekept #nursing
If they were truly trying to make an example out of her, they would have sent her to do time for her crime. However, it is a mistake. And understandably, they don't want anyone else to do the same. But I agree, no one truly wins. The dead can't be brought back. The nurse lost her ability to do her job. I think the real question is, where do we go from here?? Yes the woman died, but how far do we go to punish a mistake??