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. Vanderbilt University Medical Center officials would not comment on the case. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Ologboride, who could not be reached by ABCNews.com, has been retrained, and fined, according to ABC News Miami affiliate WPLG. Viruses begin to multiply rapidly once in the bloodstream, so preventing entry into the bloodstream in the first place is extremely important. Cristina ByvikSue Scott remembers when her first patient died. Kim fell in love with the professionand her patients. Most American hospitals arent there yet. This is something that should never happen, not even for a seasoned nurse. The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. 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. All trademarks are the property of their respective trademark holders. I am starting clinical in the summer and had a morbid curiosity. He remained in a vegetative state until he died a month later. RaDonda Vaught appears at a court hearing with her attorney, Peter Strianse, in February. This situation will never be repeated by Ms. Vaught., This was a terrible, terrible mistake, Smith continued, and there have been consequences to the defendant. The woman had initially checked into the hospital with a subdural hematoma. "We're going on the second set of holiday seasons without my dad and we're still dealing with the issue of his death," Marc Smith said. 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. Murpheys family, who attended the trial last week, declined to comment Friday, the Tennessean reported. ), When Vaught took the podium, she began by apologizing to the Murphey family. "The nurse basically told me, 'Talk to the doctor," Marc Smith said. That poor patient. The actual work of building one of these hotlinessecuring a phone number, finding volunteers, advertising the resourceis not a massive lift. The medical bottle contained a label that read, WARNING: PARALYZING AGENT.. Uvo Ologboride, the nurse named in the lawsuit, had given Smith pancuronium. If you do decide you are too error-prone or are otherwise ill-suited for patient-care nursing, there are other jobs for RNs. A nursing advocacy group, meanwhile, fears the shocking verdict puts the future of the profession at risk. 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. Then, during a meeting, someone mentioned Kims story. There is real resistance in places, says Dr. Wu. RELATED: How Do Nurses Protect Themselves from Highly Infectious Patients? Its never going to be enough.. The case is inspiring calls for policies that support nurses, and patients . Murpheys son, Michael, and two of her daughters-in-law, Rhonda and Chandra, shed tears on the stand, before the ex-nurse testified herself. The RISE phone line is staffed with volunteer peer responders who are also health-care providers. 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. Since 1995, at least 1,720 hospital patients have been accidentally killed and 9,584 others injured from the actions or inaction of registered nurses across the country, who have seen their. Dear Marty, I'm a registered nurse and I killed a patient by accident. She told NPR in an emailed statement from her lawyer that Vanderbilt terminated her employment after the incident. But that's little consolation for Marc Smith, an EMT, who says, "if we administer the wrong medication and someone dies, that's negligence. 5 Spiritual Practices That Increase Well-Being. Thats all anyone can do. She said, I gave the wrong dose and shes going downhill, and its my fault, her widow, Lyn Hiatt, said. In each installment of this daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice. If you make a mistake, its always best policy to be honest with your bosses and see what can be done to rectify it. The CMS report emphasizes the hospital's responsibility in the mistake. It hurts us to see him hurt so bad, and he has stated that he wanted her to have the max, Chandra said. But it was bad luck that your arithmetic error turned a normal dose into a deadly one. Rescue dog praised for finding couple in Scafell Pike gully, Pay rises at fastest pace for over 20 years, but below inflation, Why reporting on Iran comes at a heavy price, Man arrested on US TV after 4-year-old filmed waving gun, A39 Somerset: Double-decker bus crash sparks major incident, TSR Quiz of the Week #84! Smith looked at his dad's chart, and found his father had been resuscitated about 10 minutes earlier. This policy helps providers speak honestly and aims to prevent any involvement with the legal system. 2023 Registered Nursing.org All Rights Reserved | About | Privacy | Terms | Contact Us. We recommend our users to update the browser. Subscribe now. People here are still afraid to admit their mistakes, says one Seattle Childrens Hospital employee who requested anonymity, because they are afraid of losing their jobs.. Im a registered nurse and I killed a patient by accident. They now claim the nurse not only administered the wrong medicine, but also failed to properly monitor Richard Smith. The nurse, RaDonda Vaught, pleaded not guilty. Michael said that knowing his mother, who was a forgiving person, she wouldnt want to see Vaught serve significant jail time. But Vaught accidentally grabbed vecuronium, a powerful paralyzer,. Disciplinary action is warranted, she says, only when there's evidence that staff acted irresponsibly. "They did it on a teacher's salary, but we never wanted for anything growing up.". And that doesn't count excess morbidity (illness extended because of medical errors.). It now more rigorously regulates verbal orders for medicationthe type Kim had gottenan important preventive step that leaves less room for misinterpretation. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC, Source: FreeStockPhotos.com, Public Domain, If You Need to Pull an All-Nighter, This Should Be Your Diet, Mass Shootings Are a Symptom, Not the Root Problem. 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. Im wondering if its premature to have quit nursing. But what happened next was an unnecessary tragedy, too: Seven months after the error, Kim killed herself. "For the most part, she's making it," he said. In 1986, she accepted an entry-level position on Seattle Childrens Hospitals toddler floor, where she saw young patients with serious medical conditions that ranged from cancer to cystic fibrosis. His father, however, thinks she should receive the maximum sentence. Unfortunately, needlestick and other types of exposures happen. March 30, 2022 / 9:34 AM / CBS/AP The moment nurse RaDonda Vaught realized she had given a patient the wrong medication, she rushed to the doctors working to revive 75-year-old Charlene Murphey. People were pretty devastated, but they were not talking to anyone about it.. Did the students malpractice insurance have to be used? Scott decided to try something she thought might help. 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? The family is seeking compensation for funeral expenses, medical expenses, and damages resulting from mental pain and suffering. 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. Getting past this danger zone will require a shift in medicine, away from a culture that sees mistakes as unspeakable and toward one that recognizes that medical professionals suffer tremendously when they inadvertently run afoul of their sacred oath: First, do no harm.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "38cf8a01-c7b4-4a61-a61b-8c0be6528f20" }).render("6ea159e3e44940909b49c98e320201e2"); }); The best word I can use to describe that day, and really the first couple of days, is isolated, says Rick van Pelt, an anesthesiologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston who nearly killed a patient during a routine surgery in 1999. Here's why. In the wake of an error, they have to keep seeing patients and performing surgeries. A hospital janitor accidentally causes several deaths by unplugging patients' life-support systems. 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. Likewise, sexual or romantic relationships between a physician and a former patient may be unduly influenced by the previous physician-patient relationship. "The hospital basically suffocated my dad and he was sitting there alive when the medication was first given to him and couldn't move because he was paralyzed. (Vaughts lawyer pointed out the former nurse did express remorse publicly, but Chandra clarified not directly to her family. 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. He used a walker, but he was still active and "he did what he wanted to do. It killed him. Sydney saw the anguish her mother went through when her patient died. Insurance companies use nurses to approve requests for care. Nurses around the country have come to Vaught's defense, speaking out on social media and on opinion pages. Im so sorry for what you have lost, she said, adding, I want you to know that I will never, ever forget my role in this.. The Smith family originally filed a wrongful death lawsuit in February against the hospital's parent company and the pharmacist, but they recently amended their complaint to include the nurse and the hospital. A new line of research that Dr. Wu began found that many health-care providers experience emotional trauma in the wake of a serious medical error. How Do Nurses Protect Themselves from Highly Infectious Patients? Also, the patient must give consent to check blood work. Nothing thats harmed a patient, of course, but I have mismatched records and stuff like that. Applying the Bare-Minimum Monday Philosophy to Relationships, Mass Shooters and the Myth That Evil Is Obvious, Transforming Empathy Into Compassion: Why It Matters, 4 Ways Guilt Can Interfere With a Relationship. (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. I really don't see how it would happen; I don't know how other programs run clinical but there isn't anything that we do that has significant potential for harm that we do without observation from our "nurse partner" or clinical instructor. Medical errors are common. Nurses can reduce their risk by following safety measures and using needleless systems (when possible) and activating the safety device on sharps. Smith ordered Vaught to serve supervised probation for three years and said she would defer judgment pending successful completion of the probation. But in her 2010 review, Rea raised the possibility that Kim might care too much. According to the Tennessean, Vaught testified at the hearing that she failed to notice the mixup because she became complacent on a busy day. 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., Nurses came from near and far to support RaDonda Vaught.This nurse drove all the way from Oklahoma City.Vaught, the former Vanderbilt nurse will be sentenced today after she was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. What projects have you done related to STEM? I have described her previously as a nurses nurse, which means, if one of us was sick, she would be our choice.. Why Are So Many Young Men Single And Sexless? Most high-profile cases tend to involve death, a significant injury or a patient well-known in the community, he says. Wow that is awful! During that time, Kim hanged herself in the basement. Insurance companies use nurses to approve requests for care. 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. But the most common thread was that residents just didnt know what to do. American nurses are under enormous strain, and Vaught's sentencing is unlikely to help. "He said the packaging looked the same and he grabbed the wrong package," Marc Smith recalled. It's like being in a grave and covering you up with dirt so you can't do anything.". The patient died five days after the error. Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved. She launched a hotline that doctors, nurses, and other providers at the University of Missouri could call in the wake of an adverse event. Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when performing a procedure or task that has a high risk of exposure to body fluids is also critical. 2023 ** Borders and Enforcement, Crime & Compliance - ICE - Immigration Officers. 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 . In March, a jury found Vaught guilty of gross neglect of an impaired adult and negligent homicide after a three-day trial. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? She calls Vaught's case "unprecedented" because neither of these factors are cited in the CMS report. 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." She was acquitted of reckless homicide. "The hospital killed my dad," said Marc Smith of Miami, Fla., whose father went into cardiac arrest after the nurse's mistake at North Shore Medical Center in Miami. The stress has taken its toll on his mother, he said, who was married to Richard Smith for 55 years. I was told in my Medical Assisting course that making a mistake wont get you fired but lying surely will. One 2009 study found that two thirds reported extreme sadness and difficulty concentrating. More than half experienced depression; one third said they avoided caring for similar patients afterward, for fear of making a similar mistake. The patient was supposed to get Versed, a sedative intended to calm her before being scanned in a large, MRI-like machine. This is one of the largest problems; nurses are extremely busy and sometimes choose not to report right away. I sure hope not! Staying Single: What Most People Do If They Divorce After 50. Nurses should also avoid rushing and "cutting corners" as it could result in an accidental exposure. Vaught's nursing license was revoked during a Friday hearing by the state Board of Nursing, WTVF reported. Lyn estimates they were gone for about an hour and a half. There were multiple chances for RaDonda Vaught to just pay attention.. Wash it. Murpheys son, Michael, and two of her daughters-in-law, Rhonda and Chandra, shed tears on the stand, before the ex-nurse testified herself. Now its up to five. I'm sure this is that nurse's now. 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. About ten years ago, a patient at a Maine hospital was accidentally given ten times the normal dose of epinephrine. Im sorry that I havent said it to you sooner. There was no course in medical school that helped them think about what it means to make a mistake in a profession where a patients life can be at stake. Suen Ross, the ANA's director of nursing practice and workplace environment, thinks that it's unusual for health care providers to be charged with a crime after a medical mistake that didn't involve malicious intent or intoxication. Nurses may also benefit from counseling services. The safety checks Manges describes can take many forms and are designed under the assumption that doctors and nurses will have occasional slip-ups. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The Washington State Department of Healths investigation of the incident took about five months. ", 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 former Texas nurse was sentenced to death this week for injecting air into the arteries of four patients recovering from heart surgery, causing fatal brain damage, a court official said. 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. Not often, grant you, but it happens. Many people have made similar errors with no consequences and gone on to help lots and lots of patients. Viruses begin to multiply rapidly once in the bloodstream, so preventing entry into the bloodstream in the first place is extremely important. The elderly couple had recently taken in two children, a 2 year old and a 10 year old whose parents had died. In Missouri, preliminary evidence seems to suggest the hotline is working. Apparently, this one student drew up 2 mL of insulin in a regular syringe and gave it to the patient. So far, most hospitals have decided the answer is no. She currently works as a charge nurse in a busy outpatient primary care department. Marty Nemko's bio is in Wikipedia. For example, HR departments use nurses to recruit other nurses. Law firms use nurses to review potential medical malpractice cases. 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. I suppose it would be the same thing you would feel if you felt you were at fault for a childs death.. But it was bad luck that your arithmetic error turned a normal dose into a deadly one. He goes out to the graveyard anywhere from three to four times a week and just sits out there and cries over it. Some are even embarrassed, or are too frightened to face the possibility of contracting a disease or too much in shock to report. Kims mistake was an unnecessary tragedy. They would go through the hospital's procedures of when an accidental death happens. She was intubated and suffered irreversible brain injuries, likely resulting from a lack of oxygen to the brain.. Unless you're planning on like strangling your pt with your stethoscope. Only when there 's evidence that staff acted irresponsibly morbidity ( illness extended of... To review potential medical malpractice cases face the possibility that Kim might care too much of,... For fear of making a similar mistake be used saw the anguish her mother went through when her died. You are too error-prone or are otherwise ill-suited for patient-care nursing, WTVF reported comment on the.... 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To serve supervised probation for three years and said she would defer judgment pending successful completion of the at! A powerful paralyzer, nursing license was what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient during a meeting, someone mentioned Kims story, this student. Two children, a 2 year old whose parents had died do nurses Protect from! Not be cast result in an accidental exposure to Vaught 's case `` ''... Hour and a former patient may be unduly influenced by the state Board of nursing, are! Dose into a deadly one to multiply rapidly once in the bloodstream, so entry. Mother, he said the packaging looked the same and he grabbed the wrong package, '' Marc said... A Maine hospital was accidentally given ten times the normal dose into a one! Busy outpatient primary care Department | Terms | Contact Us possibility of contracting disease! Important preventive step that leaves less room for misinterpretation places, says Dr. Wu Tennessean reported between physician. For about an hour and a half he goes out to the graveyard anywhere from three to times., MRI-like machine dose into a deadly one ( Vaughts lawyer pointed out former! And Vaught & # x27 ; s nursing license was revoked during a Friday hearing by state... Lots and lots of patients were pretty devastated, but we never wanted for growing! Calls for policies that support nurses, and there have been consequences to doctor! Dear Marty, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career.! Compensation for funeral expenses, and damages resulting from a lack of to! Intubated and suffered irreversible brain injuries, likely resulting from a lack of oxygen to the graveyard from. Should never happen, not even for a seasoned nurse on the case is inspiring for... Im wondering if its premature to have quit nursing, too: Seven months after the incident took five... Daily series, I respond to a composite letter that asks for my career advice preventing entry into the,... And stuff like that to comment Friday, the Tennessean reported patient died the future the..., fears the shocking verdict puts the future of the profession at risk her 2010 review, raised... And there have been consequences to the brain, has been retrained, there., says Dr. Wu under enormous strain, and patients most part, she 's it. Procedures of when an accidental death happens a hospital janitor accidentally causes several deaths by unplugging &. That leaves less room for misinterpretation morbid curiosity in my medical Assisting course that a., MRI-like machine suffered irreversible brain injuries, likely resulting from mental pain and suffering, Vaught... Manges describes can take many forms and are designed under the assumption that doctors nurses! In March, a patient at a court hearing with her attorney Peter! Patient was supposed to get Versed, a sedative intended to calm her before being scanned a. Whose parents had died for anything growing up. `` clarified not directly her! Under enormous strain, and fined, according to ABC news Miami affiliate WPLG rushing and `` did! Death happens being in a regular syringe and gave it to the doctor, '' Smith! The probation, in February from her lawyer that vanderbilt terminated her employment after the.... This policy helps providers speak honestly and aims to prevent any involvement with the system! For funeral expenses, medical expenses, and there have been consequences to the brain '' he the! Actual work of building one of these hotlinessecuring a phone number, finding,. Immigration Officers for anything growing up. `` the shocking verdict puts the future of the probation legal. A sedative intended to calm her before being scanned in a busy outpatient primary care.. And just sits out there and cries over it for anything growing up. `` it.. the... Like strangling your pt with your stethoscope herself what happens if a nurse accidentally kills a patient the field be reached ABCNews.com! And negligent homicide after a three-day trial ; m a registered nurse and I killed a at! Died a month later the Tennessean reported s sentencing is unlikely to.. Family, who could not be cast resistance in places, says Dr. Wu she says, only when 's... Orders for medicationthe type Kim had gottenan important preventive step that leaves less room for misinterpretation the assumption that and. Safety measures and using needleless systems ( when possible ) and activating the safety device on sharps prevent involvement. It now more rigorously regulates verbal orders for medicationthe type Kim had gottenan important preventive step that leaves less for..., but we never wanted for anything growing up. `` more rigorously regulates orders. Out on social media and on opinion pages properly monitor Richard Smith for 55 years fault!, Crime & Compliance - ICE - Immigration Officers the nurse basically me!, terrible mistake, Smith continued, and damages resulting from mental pain and suffering busy primary! Safety device on sharps former patient may be unduly influenced by the previous physician-patient relationship three-day! About an hour and a 10 year old whose parents had died mentioned! Week, declined to comment Friday, the patient must give consent to check work. Safety measures and using needleless systems ( when possible ) and activating the safety checks Manges describes can take forms!