A former nurse, RaDonda Vaught, accidentally administered a fatal dose of the wrong medication to a patient, Charlene Murphy, in 2017. Despite it being a tragic mistake, Vaught was charged with reckless homicide and abuse of an impaired adult. She was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and faced up to 8 years in prison. The case sparked outrage among nurses and healthcare professionals, with many arguing that it sets a dangerous precedent by criminalizing honest mistakes. A petition calling for clemency garnered over 200,000 signatures. Vaught was eventually sentenced to 3 years of supervised probation. Throughout the ordeal, Vaught has taken responsibility for her actions and expressed remorse for the patient's family.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. RaDonda Vaught, a 38-year-old former nurse, accidentally gave a patient the wrong medication in 2017.
2. The patient, Charlene Murphy, died as a result of the medication error.
3. Vaught was charged with reckless homicide and abuse of an impaired adult in 2019.
4. Vaught's nursing license was revoked, and she was fired from Vanderbilt Medical Center.
5. A 56-page federal investigative report found deficiencies in the hospital's pharmacy system that contributed to the medication error.
6. Vaught's trial began, and she was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult.
7. Vaught faced up to eight years in prison but was sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
8. The American Nursing Association expressed concern that the verdict would set a precedent for criminalizing honest reporting of medical errors.
9. A change.org petition calling for clemency for Vaught garnered over 200,000 signatures.
10. Vaught apologized to Murphy's family at her sentencing and expressed her commitment to being a better person.
11. Murphy's family forgave Vaught and expressed that they did not want her to serve jail time.
12. Vaught was a nurse at Vanderbilt Medical Center's neurological intensive care unit in 2017.
13. Vaught had been a nurse for many years and had found her purpose in taking care of patients.
14. The incident occurred when Vaught was escorting a trainee and was distracted, leading to the medication error.
15. Vaught had to override the hospital's pharmacy system to obtain the medication, which was a common practice at the time.