What Did RaDonda Vaught Do to Patients?
Nurse RaDonda Vaught has been convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of her patient Charlene Murphey. It was a landmark case that ignited debate around medical errors and the role nurses should play in healthcare. It was this error that led to Murphey’s death.
2. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
As one of the leading causes of death in America, medical errors are a major concern for healthcare professionals. They kill an estimated 250,000 people a year.
Vaught was convicted of gross neglect of an impaired adult and negligent homicide for the death of Charlene Murphey, a 75-year-old patient who died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2017.
3. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
The case ignited debate in national conversations about nursing shortages and patient safety. Many experts fear that it could chill the profession.
4. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease and cancer. A Johns Hopkins study found that over a quarter million people die of medical errors each year.
In 2017, RaDonda Vaught, a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, mistakenly administered a powerful paralytic medication to a patient named Charlene Murphey. Her criminal conviction made national headlines and sparked an ethical debate.
5. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
They may undergo unnecessary medical treatment or die.
6. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
RaDonda Vaught, a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, injected 75-year-old Charlene Murphey with the wrong medication. Her criminal prosecution triggered national conversations about nursing shortages and patient safety. It frightened nurses and health care professionals.
7. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
It can be life-threatening for patients, resulting in death. And many nurses and medical professionals fear that the case of Vaught could set a dangerous precedent. Misdiagnosis and neglect are two of the most common.
In a trial that was closely watched by nurses and medical professionals across the country, a jury found Vaught guilty of negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult for her role in the death of Charlene Murphey in 2017. The verdict left nursing communities shocked, dismayed, and concerned about what this means for the future of health care.
8. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
They can result in unnecessary and harmful treatment. Vaught accidentally dispensed the wrong medication, which led to the death of her patient Charlene Murphey. Her case has sparked fears that nurses could be criminalized for a mistake they did not intend to make.
9. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
The consequences can be serious for a patient and their family.
10. Misdiagnosis and Neglect
Nurses are often the first to notice and report medical errors. The conviction of Vaught has set alarm bells ringing among patient safety advocates and nursing groups. It is feared that criminalizing nurses for unintentional errors may chill their willingness to report mistakes.
