Future of Nursing in MI - May 2022

Page 10 The Future of Nursing in Michigan May, June, July 2022
The Case of Nurse RaDonda...continued from page 9
• Not double checking the medication with a
colleague; and
• Not monitoring the patient even if she
thought she was giving Versed.
A lead investigator in the criminal trial
testified that Vanderbilt had a “heavy burden
of responsibility” for a grievous drug error…
but pursued penalties and criminal charges only
against the nurse and not the hospital itself. 40
Vanderbilt received no punishment for the fatal
drug error.
After three days of trial followed by four
hours of deliberations the jury rendered its
verdict. The jury was made up of six men and
six women, with one juror being a practicing
registered nurse and another a former
respiratory therapist.
The Verdict – The jury found Ms. Vaught guilty
of criminal negligent homicide (a lesser charge
under reckless homicide) and gross neglect of
an impaired adult. She was acquitted of reckless
homicide. The neglect charge stemmed from
the allegation that Ms. Vaught did not properly
monitor Ms. Murphey after she was injected
with the wrong drug.
Stay Tuned – RaDonda Vaught, a convicted felon,
is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2022.
Other Source Documents –
• Kelman, Brett; The RaDonda Vaught case
is confusing. This timeline will help. (msn.
com); Nashville Tennessean; March 22, 2022;
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/
the-radonda-vaught-case-is-confusing-thistimeline-will-help/ar-BB10EVFV
• Kelman, Brett; Ex-Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda
Vaught loses Nursing License for fatal
drug error; Nashville Tennessean; July 23,
2021; https://www.tennessean.com/story/
news/health/2021/07/23/ex-vanderbiltnurse-radonda-vaught-loses-license-fatalerror/8069185002/
• Timms, Mariah; Prosecutors, defense
lay out framework in homicide trial of
ex-Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught;
March 22, 2022; https://news.yahoo.com/
prosecutors-defense-lay-frameworkhomicide-193942097.html?fr=sycsrp_
catchall
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• Kelman, Brett; In nurse’s trial, witness says
hospital bears ‘heavy’ responsibility for
patient death; Kaiser Health News; March
24, 2022; https://health.wusf.usf.edu/nprhealth/2022-03-24/in-nurses-trial-witnesssays-hospital-bears-heavy-responsibilityfor-patient-death.
• Fruen, Lauren; Inside the trial of ex-nurse
RaDonda Vaught who ‘killed a patient by
giving her the wrong drug; March 24, 2022;
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18055626/
nurse-radonda-vaught-trial-killed-patient/
• Sutton, Caroline, West, Emily, Davis, Chris;
Trial of RaDonda Vaught: Jury to deliberate
case starting Friday; March 25, 2022; https://
www.newschannel5.com/news/trial-ofradonda-vaught-former-vanderbilt-medicalcenter-nurse-continues-into-third-day
• Kelman, Brett; Nurse Convicted of Neglect
and Negligent Homicide for Fatal Drug Error;
Nashville Tennessean; March 25, 2022;
https://khn.org/news/article/radondavaught-nurse-drug-error-vanderbilt-guiltyverdict/
• Levine, Zachary, McClendon, Shannon;
Statement in Response to the Conviction of
Nurse RaDonda Vaught; American Nurses
Association, March 25, 2022; https://www.
nursingworld.org/news/news-releases/2022-
news-releases/statement-in-response-tothe-conviction-of-nurse-radonda-vaught/
• Timms, Mariah; Former Vanderbilt nurse
RaDonda Vaught found guilty on 2 charges in
2017 death of patient; Nashville Tennessean;
March 25, 2022; https://www.yahoo.com/
now/former-vanderbilt-nurse-radondavaught-184322536.html
• Loller, Travis; Former nurse guilty of
homicide in medication error death;
Associated Press; March 25, 2022;
https://kstp.com/associated-press/apus-international/former-nurse-guilty-ofhomicide-in-medication-error-death/
• Timms, Mariah; Ex-Nurse RaDonda Vaught
found guilty on two charges in death of
patient; Nashville Tennessean; March 29,
2022; https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/
ex-nurse-radonda-vaught-found-175845609.
html
• Kelman, Brett, Norman, Hannah; Why
Nurses Are Raging and Quitting after the
RaDonda Vaught Verdict; Kaiser Health; April
5, 2022; https://health.wusf.usf.edu/nprhealth/2022-04-05/why-nurses-are-ragingand-quitting-after-the-radonda-vaughtverdict
Donna J. Craig, RN, JD is legal counsel to the
ANA-Michigan Chapter and the Michigan Council
of Nurse Practitioners. She practiced as a cardiac
care nurse for several years before a chance
opportunity to audit a graduate course in health
care law and ethics changed her career path. That
course propelled her to earn her law degree. After
law school Ms. Craig joined a medical malpractice
defense law firm before transitioning her focus
to health care corporate and administrative law
matters. For over 20 years she has maintained her
private health law practice, representing health
care providers and facilities in business, licensure,
and compliance matters. For her expertise and
accomplishments, Detroit’s Business Magazine
awarded Ms. Craig its Top Lawyer in Health Care
Law award on three occasions. Ms. Craig has the
distinction and is proud of being a bar member
of the Supreme Court of the United States of
America. For more information about The Health
Law Center, go to www.healthlawcenterplc.com.
1 Anonymous Complaint, page 1 of 3 pages at: https://
www.documentcloud.org/documents/6542003-CMS-
Complaint-Intake.html
2 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 7 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html.
3 Id.
4 Id.
5 Id.
6 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 33 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
7 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 8 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
8 Id.
9 Amended County Medical Examiner Investigator’s
Report, at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6540657-Charlene-Murphey-ME-
Investigation.html
10 Report From the Anonymous Tipster at: https://
www.documentcloud.org/documents/6542003-CMS-
Complaint-Intake.html
11 Closing Letters From Tennessee Department of
Health at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6785898-RaDonda-Vaught-Letters.html
12 Id.
13 Id.
14 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 9 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
15 Id.
16 Prosecutorial Discovery Documents, page 5 of
51 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6785652-RaDonda-Vaught-DA-Discovery.html
17 Prosecutorial Discovery Documents, page 6 of 51 at:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6785652-
RaDonda-Vaught-DA-Discovery.html
18 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 9 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
19 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 10 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
20 Id.
21 Id.
22 Id.
23 Id.
24 Id.
25 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 11 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
26 Id.
27 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 12 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
28 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 11 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
29 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 25 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
30 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 33 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
31 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, page 35 of
105 pages at: https://www.documentcloud.org/
documents/6535181-Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
32 Corrective Action Plan by Vanderbilt, pages 1 – 105 at:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6535181-
Vanderbilt-Corrective-Plan.html
33 Licensing Charges Filed by the Board of Nursing at:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6483588
-Vaught-RaDonda-NOC-9-27-19.html
34 Id.
35 Kelman, Brett; Ex-Vanderbilt nurse RaDonda Vaught
loses Nursing License for fatal drug error; Nashville
Tennessean; July 23, 2021; https://www.tennessean.
com/story/news/health/2021/07/23/ex-vanderbilt-nurseradonda-vaught-loses-license-fatal-error/8069185002/
36 Id.
37 Id.
38 Fruen, Lauren; Inside the trial of ex-nurse RaDonda
Vaught who ‘killed a patient by giving her the wrong
drug; March 24, 2022; https://www.thesun.co.uk/
news/18055626/nurse-radonda-vaught-trial-killedpatient/
39 Id.
40 Sutton, Caroline, West, Emily, Davis, Chris; Trial of
RaDonda Vaught: Jury to deliberate case starting
Friday; March 25, 2022; https://www.newschannel5.
com/news/trial-of-radonda-vaught-former-vanderbiltmedical-center-nurse-continues-into-third-day
41 Kelman, Brett; In nurse’s trial, witness says hospital
bears ‘heavy’ responsibility for patient death; Kaiser
Health News; March 24, 2022; https://health.wusf.usf.
edu/npr-health/2022-03-24/in-nurses-trial-witness-sayshospital-bears-heavy-responsibility-for-patient-death.