Former nurse speaks out after sentencing in fatal drug error | Nightline
Summary
TLDRThe video script recounts the tragic case of Radonda Vaught, a former nurse convicted of criminally negligent homicide after accidentally administering the wrong medication, leading to a patient's death. The incident at Vanderbilt Medical Center sparked a nationwide debate on the criminalization of medical errors, with many fearing the precedent it sets for healthcare workers. Despite the conviction, the family of the deceased forgave Vaught, and she was ultimately sentenced to three years of supervised probation, highlighting the complexity of assigning blame in medical mishaps.
Takeaways
- 🏡 Radanovat cherishes her peaceful life in rural Tennessee, which contrasts sharply with the turmoil she has experienced.
- 🔍 The script discusses the case of Radanovat, a former nurse accused of administering a fatal dose of the wrong medication to a patient.
- 🏥 Radanovat was a nurse at Vanderbilt Medical Center, where she made a tragic mistake that led to a patient's death.
- 🚨 The mistake was followed by criminal charges, with Radanovat being convicted of criminally negligent homicide.
- 🤔 The script raises questions about the balance between blame and responsibility in such cases.
- 💊 The error involved administering vecuronium instead of a sedative, leading to severe consequences for the patient.
- 📋 The prosecution argued that Radanovat's actions were part of 18 egregious errors that resulted in the patient's death.
- 🏥 Vanderbilt Medical Center's pharmacy system, which allowed overrides of safeguards, is implicated in the defense's argument.
- 📉 The case has sparked a nationwide debate about the criminalization of medical errors and the potential impact on the nursing profession.
- 📉 The American Nursing Association expressed concern about the verdict, fearing it sets a dangerous precedent.
- 🏆 Despite the conviction, Radanovat was sentenced to three years of supervised probation, avoiding prison time.
- 💌 Radanovat expressed a heartfelt apology and a commitment to affecting positive change in the future.
Q & A
What was the profession of Radonda Vaught before the incident?
-Radonda Vaught was a former nurse at Vanderbilt Medical Center, working in the neurological intensive care unit.
What mistake did Radonda Vaught make in 2017 that led to criminal charges?
-Radonda Vaught accidentally administered a powerful paralyzing drug, vecuronium, instead of a sedative to a patient named Charlene Murphy, which resulted in Charlene's death.
What was the patient's condition when Charlene Murphy was admitted to the hospital in 2017?
-Charlene Murphy was admitted to the hospital for a brain injury and was ready to be discharged after a final scan, for which she needed a sedative due to nervousness about the procedure.
What was the outcome of the trial for Radonda Vaught?
-The jury found Radonda Vaught guilty of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult.
What was the defense's argument regarding the systemic errors that contributed to the mistake?
-The defense argued that Radonda Vaught's fatal mistake was made possible by systemic errors involving the hospital's pharmacy, which allowed nurses to routinely override safeguards.
What was the federal investigative report's finding after Charlene Murphy's death?
-The federal investigative report outlined deficiencies found at the hospital, indicating that multiple factors had to align incorrectly for the error to occur.
What was the reaction of the American Nursing Association to the verdict?
-The American Nursing Association expressed deep distress over the verdict, stating that it set a dangerous precedent and could have harmful ramifications for the profession.
What was the final sentence given to Radonda Vaught after the trial?
-Radonda Vaught was sentenced to three years of supervised probation instead of jail time.
What was the public response to Radonda Vaught's case, as indicated by the petition?
-A Change.org petition calling for clemency for Radonda Vaught garnered more than 200,000 signatures, indicating significant public support.
How did Radonda Vaught's case impact the perception of nursing and medical errors?
-The case sparked a nationwide debate about the criminalization of honest medical mistakes and the potential for such cases to discourage people from entering or remaining in the nursing profession.
What did Radonda Vaught express at her sentencing?
-Radonda Vaught made a heartfelt apology, expressing that she will always carry Charlene Murphy with her and is committed to affecting positive change.
Outlines
🏥 Medical Tragedy and Criminal Charges
The script introduces Radanovat, a former nurse living a peaceful life in rural Tennessee, who faced a life-altering event. She is accused of administering a fatal dose of the wrong medication to a patient, Charlene Murphy, which led to her death. The incident occurred at Vanderbilt Medical Center, where Radanovat was a nurse in the neurological intensive care unit. The script discusses the trial, her conviction for criminally negligent homicide, and the broader implications for nurses fearing similar legal repercussions for medical errors.
📖 Systemic Failures and Legal Battle
This paragraph delves into the complexities of the case, highlighting systemic issues within the hospital's pharmacy system that allowed for the override of safeguards. It discusses the federal investigative report that outlined deficiencies at the hospital and how these contributed to the error. The legal battle is portrayed, with Radanovat's conviction for criminally negligent homicide and abuse, and the public outcry that followed, including a petition for clemency and statements from the American Nursing Association. The healthcare system's vulnerability and the fear instilled in nurses are emphasized, culminating in Radanovat's sentencing to three years of supervised probation.
🌐 Public Response and Media Coverage
The final paragraph shifts focus to the public and media response to the case. It mentions the support group formed for Radanovat and the broader discussion about public safety and the potential chilling effect on healthcare professionals reporting errors. The paragraph concludes with a call for viewers to subscribe to the ABC News YouTube channel for more content and live event coverage, and to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Scapegoat
💡Criminally Negligent Homicide
💡Medication Error
💡Systemic Errors
💡Federal Investigative Report
💡Health Care Heroes
💡Sentencing
💡Judicial Diversion
💡Petition for Clemency
💡Nursing License Revocation
💡Healthcare System
Highlights
Radanovat's peaceful life in rural Tennessee contrasts with the turmoil she has experienced.
The former nurse feels scapegoated by the world after a fatal medication error.
Redonda Vaught was accused of administering the wrong medication leading to a patient's death.
The trial resulted in a conviction for criminally negligent homicide, a rare outcome for a medical error.
Vaught's case has sparked a nationwide debate on the criminalization of medical errors.
The prosecution argued that 18 egregious actions and inactions led to Charlene Murphy's death.
Vaught admitted to being distracted but argued systemic errors contributed to the mistake.
A federal investigative report outlined deficiencies at Vanderbilt Medical Center.
The case raises questions about responsibility and accountability in healthcare.
The American Nursing Association expressed concern over the verdict's impact on nursing practice.
A petition for clemency for Vaught gained significant support, reflecting public concern.
The healthcare system's vulnerability is highlighted by the fear of criminal repercussions for medical errors.
Nurses express exhaustion and the pressure of a system prone to errors.
Vaught's sentencing included a heartfelt apology and a call for positive change.
The court's decision of judicial diversion and probation reflects the complexity of the case.
Vaught's case may deter people from pursuing a career in nursing due to fear of criminal charges.
The family of Charlene Murphy expressed forgiveness and opposed jail time for Vaught.
The story concludes with a call for understanding and support for nurses and the healthcare system.
Transcripts
good morning
good morning
there's a sense of peace here
a sense
of home
a sense that god's country is not just a
southern expression but something much
more
every day is a gift
every day that i get up to
and free and my home is a gift
here in her serene corner of rural
tennessee radanovat lives her small
slice of the simple life an almost
unimaginable reality from the maelstrom
that the 38 year old former nurse has
lived through
do you feel like you were a scapegoat
i think the whole world feels like i was
a scapegoat
there's a
fine line between
blame and responsibility
nothing is done in a vacuum
the trial begins for a former nurse at
vanderbilt medical center accused of
administering a fatal dose of the wrong
medication
for the past five years redonda vaught
has faced the fight of her life a former
intensive care unit nurse who in 2017
accidentally gave the wrong drug to a
patient charlene murphy causing her to
lose her life
a tragic mistake but what followed was a
whirlwind that surprised many criminal
charges and a conviction for an accident
we the jury find the defendant redonda
leanne fault guilty of criminally
negligent homicide
tonight the nurse at the center of it
all have you played this over and over
and over in your head every day
so many times over and over and over
and we went from health care heroes to
sacrificial lambs the nationwide fight
for change from the front line workers
fearing they could be next
almost every nurse has had a medication
error of some sort that could be any one
of us
did you like being a nurse
yeah you have this
this purpose to
take care of them
and you just want to do the very best
you can
it can take a lifetime for someone to
find their purpose by 2017 redondo knew
that she had found hers in the
neurological intensive care unit at
vanderbilt medical center in nashville
it's christmas time 2017. elderly woman
named charlie murphy's admitted into the
hospital for a brain injury she's
treated
soon ready to be released but needs a
final scan before she can be sent home
which requires her to have a sedative
because she was nervous about the scan
you're the nurse that's now called in to
help
when did you realize something went
wrong
it wasn't until
she had been brought back to our unit
as an intensive care patient
and a
a code had been called
in the pet scan area where she was
redonda was supposed to give charlene a
sedative versit instead she accidentally
administered a powerful paralyzing drug
vecuronium a catastrophic mistake which
caused charlene severe brain damage
her primary nurse
had approached me and
showed me the vial of medication
and asked is this what you give her and
it wasn't until that time that i
realized that it was the wrong
medication that i had given her at 75
charlene would die from that fatal dose
when you saw the vial
and you read what was on the vial
i mean what goes through your head
that
your heart goes through the floor
um
you just
well you can't even imagine vanderbilt
fired redonda but what came next shook
her to her core
after multiple investigations her
nursing license revoked and the national
district attorney charged redonda with
reckless homicide and abuse of an
impaired adult in 2019. those words
reckless reckless reckless homicide
and abuse
that's heavy
the prosecution basing its case on what
they say were 18 egregious actions and
inactions that killed charlene murphy
among them they argue was overriding the
system used to obtain drugs and ignoring
a warning directly on the vile cap we
had had to use the override function
to obtain medications this was like a
normal part of your routine having to
hit over oh you couldn't
you couldn't obtain an iv fluid without
hitting the override button va admitted
she was distracted that day because she
was escorting a trainee anytime you have
an additional responsibility
that responsibility can be distracting i
allowed myself to
split my focus
but vaz attorneys argued that her fatal
mistake was made possible by systemic
errors involving the hospital's pharmacy
which allowed nurses to routinely
override safeguards a 56-page federal
investigative report following murphy's
death also outlined deficiencies found
at the hospital
so many things had to line up
incorrectly
for this error to have happened
and
my actions were not alone in that we're
not talking about an intentional act
we're not talking about a nurse trying
to kill a patient
a medical error to lead to a criminal
charge and in particular a charge of
homicide that's very very rare i can't
think of another recent instance where
it has occurred neither the medical
center nor anyone else associated with
it face criminal consequences for the
incident abc news reached out to
vanderbilt medical center but they
declined to comment following a federal
investigation the hospital submitted a
corrective plan of action to address
some of the findings included in the
report who's responsible and what
happened here
i mean i don't nobody wants to point a
finger that's not what you're supposed
to do in health care you don't point
your finger and blame someone
you hold yourself accountable as a part
of the team and you say
what could i have done better what could
we have done better i'm responsible for
what
i failed to do
in march of this year the jury returned
a guilty verdict on the lesser charge of
criminally negligent homicide and on the
abuse charge redonda faced up to eight
years in prison
let's not forget
that redonda's freedom is at stake it
really is the straw that broke the
camel's back after everything nurses
have been through the last two plus
years
now to be charged criminally and
convicted why would anybody want to be a
nurse now a firestorm spread across the
country a change.org petition calling
for clemency for vote garnered more than
200 000 signatures the american nursing
association saying it was deeply
distressed by this verdict and the
harmful ramifications of criminalizing
the honest reporting of mistakes and
that the case set a dangerous precedent
all this a spark in an already
vulnerable health care system on the
brink of collapse we'll spend an entire
12-hour shift
not going to the bathroom
not eating not drinking enough water you
get to the end of the day and you're
just
mentally emotionally and physically
exhausted the system is set up to make
it easy for us to
make a mistake like this
nurses tina and erica came together to
form a support group for redonda i'm so
proud of each and every one of you this
is a public safety issue i don't want to
live in a world where
if i go to a hospital
the nurses and doctors that are going to
be taking care of me would be afraid to
speak up if they made a mistake while
vaught's performance fell below what the
profession kind of aims for
uh to say that if you were to make an
error like this you would face a
homicide charge and possibly years in
prison
would cause a lot of those people to
reconsider whether to stay a nurse or
whether to become a nurse
at her sentencing this month redonda
making a heartfelt apology
i would like to apologize to this
murphy's family first of all
she will never be lost in
my mind
she will
always remind me every day
of what
i need to do to be better as a person
murphy's family grieving and expressing
their lost relatives wishes
we forgive her my mother-in-law would
want her to be forgiven
and
jail time is not an option
to me
for her
court therefore finds
that
judicial diversion is appropriate
redonda vault was sentenced to three
years supervised probation abc news
reached out to the family of charlene
murphy and they declined an interview at
this time
i will always carry her with me and
if i can if i can affect a positive
change
i'm gonna do that
it is heart-wrenching
to know that
miss murphy and her family
were
so horrifically let down
they are the patient and the family that
will live with me the most
hi everyone george stephanopoulos here
thanks for checking out the abc news
youtube channel if you'd like to get
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over here to subscribe to our channel
and don't forget to download the abc
news app for breaking news alerts thanks
for watching
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