Former nurse sentenced after deadly medical mistake

RaDonda Vaught, convicted of criminally negligent homicide, faces three years of probation for giving a patient the wrong medication.

#ABCNews #GMA #MedicalMistake #NegligentHomicide #Verdict

[roberthollingsworth]

Everything else aside the victims family showed incredible forgiveness.

[ScrapPalletMan]

The forgiveness of the family is heartwarming even with the tragic loss of their mom

[HappyHappy-sqij]

Are we ever going to look at holding that hospital accountable for flagrant violations in procedure and staffing ratios? Not entirely that nurses fault.

[mytwocents]

I feel for everyone involved. As a former nurse, myself, I had to quit because of the extreme pressure, low staffing and long hours caused by the medical establishments' desire to make profits. The stress is horrible and mistakes are often made because of nurses not given enough time to make decisions & being short handed in critical situations. This can and does happen to so many hospital staff and it is heart breaking for everyone!

[wolfgardner]

How is it that when a police officer shoots a person they get off. But when an overworked nurse makes a mistake she is charged with homicide, loses her career and everything.

[melissagallinetti]

I have been a nurse for over thirty years and this is heartbreaking. We need legislation to make facilities have reasonable nurse to patient staffing ratios! There is not so much of a nurse shortage but a shortage of us willing to work in these conditions! We keep saying we can’t even take a pee break but nobody is helping us. I have retired because I can’t handle it anymore but if I could have a safe patient load I would go back!

[kaitlinscott]

People don’t understand what us nurses have to deal with. Low staffing, too many patients to one nurse, long hours. Mistakes DO happen. We aren’t perfect!!

[Joisu]

We need to be looking at the hospital administration, the whole system that led to this. What were the work hours? What were the safeguards in place? This is a systems issue. Do not just blame it on one person!!

[Sannket]

I know I would have forgiven her if it were my family. She seems like a sincere, honest lady who made a mistake. I hope that she can put this behind her at some point and have a fulfilling life.

[ThtGy]

My wife is a nurse, so this hits close to home. This will haunt that nurse the rest of her life.

[cmila]

total respect for the family there that took a huge amount of empathy and love

[churlish]

Damn this is heartbreaking for everyone

[abcdefghi]

The forgiveness by the family speaks volumes as to the type of people they are, and also the type of person their mom was, because they clearly said their mom wouldn't want the nurse to be punished, I also feel very sad for the nurse for having to go through this because of the career she chose.I hope she can move on, and use the second chance she has been given to still do good and make a differeence in the lives of others

[nickcampbell]

The family are amazing people. This is a shitty situation all around. She didn't intentionally do it. But the family? Heart breaking. A life is lost that won't come back. This family is to look up to.

[Drpermer]

She never should have been charged. If you want to drive nurses out of the profession, and prevent others to join, the is the PERFECT way to get it done. If you want to look for the REAL villians, look at the hospital administrators, who chronically understaff nurses and absolutely create an atmosphere where a situation like this is not only possible, but likely, to happen. We need to eliminate the "non-profit" status of hospitals that pay administrators multi-million dollar salaries and where salaries are driven by "efficiency".

[metadelic]

Long and shifting working hours, frequently under staffed issues, constantly having to multi task for various assignments, are all part of the job. No matter how perfect you think you are, or try to be, at some point you’re going to make errors. Nurses know that their license can be in jeopardy for the slightest mistakes they might make. This is obviously devastating for both sides. 🙏🏾

[RedRoadRunner]

First of all, bless that family. What a testimony to that mother. I know in my heart she did not mean to do that. I feel this was appropriate punishment. She will have to live with this all her life. I wish her well.

[fuhgetabatit]

She made a mistake that took someone’s life, I don’t think she meant it. I’m so glad the medical field is not for me.

[Purplefrog]

Speaking as a nurse, I can't believe some of these comments! Saying an error shouldn't have been made in the first place if she did the 3 checks, mistakes happen even to the best, no one is perfect. To error is human.I guess you perfect people should go form your own perfect country so all of us imperfect people don't taint you. Saying being overworked and overtired isn't an excuse? Really, you can control your mind that well and those things won't effect you? Teach me your tricks!! If the nurse that makes the error goes to jail for an honest mistake, then there are other occupations that people should start being jailed. If someone dies due to a bacterial outbreak in a food thats recalled, the inspector at the plant better be facing jail time, along with everyone on the line, maybe even the harvesters, etc. And you got food poisoning at your favorite resteraunt? I think the chef and sou chef better be charged with something! Attempted murder maybe? Or, maybe jail the nurse even though the family says "mom wouldn't want her to go to jail or anything" and see how many nurses are left in the profession in a few years. There's already a shortage and "Join Nursing, get Jail time" won't make for great advertising!!

[Linda-mfvm]

I was hospitalized for 6 days and released yesterday. Nurses work so damn hard and are exhausted. They are supposed to work 12 hour shifts, but they never go home after their 12 hours. They have to update the oncoming nurse as to the status of every patient, explain their medical condition and meds to be administered. Doctors are great, but they make the diagnosis and go onto the next patient. It is the nurses who heal and interact with the patients all day, every day. Someone like me who was very scared, can be a pain in the ass. I asked so many questions and took too much of their time. For this, I apologize. I have deep respect for every single nurse, nursing assistant and every other health care worker. God Bless them all. This poor nurse made an honest mistake which anyone of us could make. Thank God for the forgiveness by victim's family.