The Tennessee Court of Appeals on March 20 denied RaDonda Vaught’s bid to have her nursing license reinstated, according to reports from NBC affiliate WSMV and ABC affiliate WKRN.
Ms. Vaught was convicted in March 2022 of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult for a fatal medication error she made in December 2017 while working as a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. The error involved overriding an electronic medical cabinet in which vecuronium, a powerful paralyzer, was administered instead of the sedative Versed, which led to the death of 75-year-old Charlene Murphey. Ms. Vaught faced up to eight years in prison but ultimately received three years of supervised probation in May 2022.
The state nursing board revoked Ms. Vaught’s license in July 2021. She appealed that decision, but a judge upheld the revocation in November 2023. The latest ruling from the appeals court affirms that decision.
The case drew national attention and ignited debate surrounding medical error reporting and patient safety culture. Several major healthcare groups warned that criminalizing medical errors could discourage clinicians from self-reporting and undermine efforts to improve care quality.
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