Nurse IMPRISONED for Lethal Medical Error?! | Vanderbilt RN RaDonda Vaught

Former Vanderbilt RN RaDonda Vaught has been found guilty of gross neglect and negligent homicide due to a fatal medication error she made in 2017. Instead of administering Versed, a sedative, she mistakenly delivered Vecuronium, a strong paralytic, resulting in the death of the patient. She is facing 3-6 years in prison for the neglect charge and 1-2 years for the negligent homicide charge. Many are fearful that this decision will set a new precedent that will impact everyone in healthcare - from paramedics, to nurses, to doctors and everyone else between.

In this video, I'll explain the full situation, the arguments both for and against this decision, and my own thoughts on the matter.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:25 - What Happened?
04:44 - Arguments Supporting the Decision
06:03 - Arguments Opposing the Decision
09:42 - My Thoughts

LINKS FROM VIDEO:

#nurse #medicalerrors #iamradonda
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Disclaimer: Content of this video is my opinion and does not constitute medical advice. The content and associated links provide general information for general educational purposes only. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Kevin Jubbal, M.D. will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death. May include affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases made through them (at no extra cost to you).

[steph]

Thank you for breaking this down. As a doctor, I can say most of our energy is devoted to avoiding errors, avoiding missing anything, avoiding upsetting anyone, avoiding harming anyone, avoiding not giving perfect care, and avoiding getting sued. It is already a fear based culture. Let’s save jail for those that intend to harm. Losing your license is stringent enough.

[kenzelrosenbalm]

As stated in the video. Yes the nurse should have been held responsible and she was, her license was revoked and will not be able to practice medicine. Something that is held near and dear to most health care workers. Also, Vanderbilt had several flaws in their systems allowing this tragic mistake to occur. I feel criminal action taken against the nurse was unnecessary and added insult to injury.

[MMTBenzo]

Why aren't we talking about the hospital trying to cover this up????

[Meganlifestyle]

This is why I no longer do bedside nursing, I felt stressed constantly that I would make a horrible mistake due to the conditions of the workplace. I don't think prison time is warranted, she owned up to her mistake, followed procedures after the fact & Vanderbilt tried to cover it up. She is merely a scapegoat in this situation.

[thomass.]

Outrageous. Revoke the license, alright. But prison, unacceptable and short-sighted. Incompetent judge. Will have very negative repercussions for health care -> less nurses, underreporting etc etc

[powerlifterbashir]

As an RN I can say that it is acceptable for her to lose her license for a fatal mistake like that because she did have many opportunities to correct her mistake. However she immediately owned up to it and the family also forgave her. a revoked license is like a lifetime sentence in itself for some. Furthermore significant prison time for a criminal homicide/negligence seems to be too much. It was not her intention and there wasn’t reports of multiple compounding negligent errors leading up to this medication error. ALSO why are we prosecuting this woman so harshly? How about those higher ups in Vanderbilt and the state that tried to brush this under the carpet and once they got pressure from the family they pretty much tried to bribe them to stay quiet and it didn’t work out.

[Nadia-yolt]

I’m RN, and it’s too easy to make mistake:(
We have long shifts, sometimes unsafe patient ratios and 1000s of things going on at once.

[kristinabraly]

just wanted to say you did so much better on this than me. i posted about this case today too (great minds), but yours is cohesive, eloquent, and provided so much clarity. great job 👏!

[valentinesantarlas]

Very sad, yes she made a HUGE mistake, but she came forward, and was ready to face any repercussions. Little did she know the hospital would throw her under the bus and save themselves. I hope someone is going after the other parties at fault, and that her loved ones are there to support her.

[stanf]

Thank you for addressing this. As a registered nurse, I can tell you that this case is causing major waves within our community.

[andresg.]

though generic names of medications are challenging, brand names must be refrained from being taught and used in hospitals in my opinion. as a pharmacy technician, it’s extremely baffling to see versed (MIDAZOLAM) confused with VECURONIUM.

[kathynotaro]

As an RN of 35 years my biggest take away from this that i would like to share with younger/ newer nurses ( ive done a ton of precepting also) is that you need to assess the situation at hand. The patient had clostraphobia from being in a scanner. I would not consider this a medical emergency. The focus should of been to fall back on the six medication steps because there was definately time. This was not a code. It was clostraphobia. Slow it down, double check, dont over ride unless you have to and then be darn sure you have a competent person double checking you to sign off with you. No one needs prison time for this. Big learning curve in Nursing. Always assess patient first. Slow down, get help, ask for verification, thats how we learn. No one knows everything!!! I feel terrible for this poor nurse. She doesnt need prison. She will be in prison in her own head for the rest of her life as it is. This just sucks. Im officially retired and im really glad at this point. The medical field is rough.

[rebeccalovestinyhumans]

It breaks my heart to know that if she kept quiet she would have never gone through all this. Beware, people will not be honest with mistakes! We (RNs) are one tiny choice from making a mistake and it can happen to any of us. Dont be to quick to judge! Thank goodness I work in a state with ratios!

[joshbritton]

Terribly sad situation… hoping for the best for that woman’s family. May she rest in piece.

[earthstar]

My oldest was permanently harmed by a medical error.

First, the nurse was devastated, quit and has NEVER stopped trying to make amends with us and it's been 8 years. She didn't deserve to lose everything she did after years of getting to know her.

Second, someone needed to go down for this. Not the nurse though. This error was a complete system failure from top to bottom. It was very easily avoided had the hospital been appropriately staffed, had their systems running appropriately and were more concerned about their employees than profits.

Someone died because they were a patient in a hospital where the employees work in unsafe conditions. That's as deep as it is and that's where the blame lies.

Anyone not a health care provider who knows someone or has been harmed by a medical error, stop, think. Have you ever messed up at work? If I make a mistake I rerun a sample or edit a report. If a nurse makes a tiny error someone could die. We need perspective before we cast judgment.

I also think there are a lot of non medical professionals out for blood right now with a chip on their shoulder feeling like a doctor has harmed them and taking it out on this nurse.

This woman will be in my prayers. She deserves better, and frankly we all do. Healthy care in America is a joke. It's highly abusive to all involved.

[ilexxx]

I sure would like to know who reported this and how Vanderbilt got off yet the nurse get charged. This will have long reaching effects on the nursing profession. As a RN this disturbs me greatly that this nurse is being criminally charged for a tragic accident.

[buru]

Honestly Dr. Jubbal, you should go to law school! I appreciate your nuanced analysis.

[issaorbitalbeats]

As a new RN working in the field, seeing this is quite scary for us, yes she made an error, but what if i make an error due to the unsafe ratios, my income I make is nice but not nice enough to face something like this for health care admins pockets, hope the best for all health care workers,

[J_pearce]

Also, all RN’s please get insurance. Your healthcare facility will throw you under the bus if it comes to that.

[aarontyler]

First, thanks for such a well balanced video. I loved the approach. As a nurse of 8 years, I have made the very hard decision to get out and pursue other avenues. The short staffing wears on one. Always feels like treading water in boots. My mental health suffered and covid was the last straw. I wish nothing but the best to those who stick it out in nursing. It takes a special breed!