Nurse suicide follows infant tragedy

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The suicide of a nurse who accidentally gave an infant a fatal overdose last year at Seattle Children's hospital has closed an investigation but opened wounds for her friends and family members, as they struggle to comprehend a second tragedy.

Kimberly Hiatt, 50, a longtime critical-care nurse at Children's, took her own life April 3. As a result, the state's Nursing Commission last week closed its investigation of her actions in the Sept. 19 death of Kaia Zautner, a critically ill infant who died in part from complications from an overdose of calcium chloride.

After the infant's death, the hospital put Hiatt on administrative leave and soon dismissed her. In the months following, she battled to keep her nursing license in the hopes of continuing the work she loved, despite having made the deadly mistake, friends and family members said.

To satisfy state disciplinary authorities, she agreed to pay a fine and to undergo a four-year probationary period during which she would be supervised at any future nursing job when she gave medication, along with other conditions, said Sharon Crum of Issaquah, Hiatt's mother.

"She absolutely adored her job" at Children's, where she had worked for about 27 years, said Crum. "It broke her heart when she was dismissed ... She cried for two solid weeks. Not just that she lost her job, but that she lost a child."

continued: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014830569_nurse21m.html

How horrible for everyone in the situation...she had worked at Seattle Children's for 27 years, the article states.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

It's so sad to see a woman who dedicated more than half of her life to the care of critically ill children was essentially abandoned by the hospital she worked at during her most critical time of need.

Understandably, this mistake had to be thoroughly investigated and addressed because it resulted in the loss of a child's life but did they really need to fire her? Obviously this woman was wracked with guilt and extremely distraught after what had happened to this poor child but was firing her the right thing to do? Do you think a physician would have been fired if he/she had done the same thing? I doubt it...

She should have been received counseling, remediation and supervision and been allowed to keep her job at the facility she had loyally worked at for over 25 years. So now we are left to deal with two horrible tragedies, the accidental death of a child who left this world long before its time and the suicide of a woman whose life work was caring for ill children only to have it taken away by a single mistake that anyone of us could have made.

[RIP Kimberly and Kaia]

!Chris :specs:

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I wonder if SCH has a computerized med scanning system? I'm assuming they do not. Had they, maybe this dosing error would have been caught.

It is all so tragic. I found out at my hospital during a staff meeting. None of us knew this nurse, it it hurt everyone of us sitting there. It's so sad and it makes me angry that Childrens tossed this nurse away like a piece of unwanted trash. I know Childrens has had 3 deaths last year. I wonder if they fired those nurses as well?

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.

I remember a story similar to this where the nurse hung the wrong med causing death of the patient and unborn child. She ended up with JAIL TIME and loss of her license. I dont know if this occurred because the family pressed charges or what. No matter what, in these situations - NO ONE WINS. now 2 lives are lost. Such a sad situation. Our jobs are more difficult than people know, being in charge of another humans life is so stressful. It would be hard to live with this error, I imagined she had many nightmares and so did the parents. This breaks my heart. :(

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Still cannot wrap my head around this!

A seasoned nurse with nearly 30 years expereince makes a math error and is not only fired, brought up on BON charges but apparently blacklisted (or good as) as well.

Yes, one is *VERY* sorry for the loss of the child, but as the old saying goes "two wrongs don't make a right". As the writer to the Seattle Times pointed out, treating healthcare professionals whom make mistakes like this is counter productive. First of all it backs up the idea that you have to be nuts to report any error you make if you can get away with it.

This poor nurse begged and pleaded with the BON to be allowed to practice even with restrictions on her license, but it got her no where. So this is their idea of "protecting the public"?

One understands there is little to no room for error when dealing with meds for any acute or very acute patient, espeically a wee baby with many issues. But as the letter writer pointed out why was one nurse (no matter how good or seasoned) left to prepare and administer calcium chloride in that instance. The hospital changed it's proceedures after the incident so obviously what came before left room for mistakes.

Nurses out there you has my sympathies. If something like this can happen to a well seasoned nurse then the rest of you are one math error away from being out of a job. Talk about pressure!

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Now that the nurse is dead, I suppose the Board considers the public to be protected.

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With the nurse's death, the Seattle BON closed it's investigation into the matter.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Still cannot wrap my head around this!

A seasoned nurse with nearly 30 years expereince makes a math error and is not only fired, brought up on BON charges but apparently blacklisted (or good as) as well.

Yes, one is *VERY* sorry for the loss of the child, but as the old saying goes "two wrongs don't make a right". AMEN As the writer to the Seattle Times pointed out, treating healthcare professionals whom make mistakes like this is counter productive. First of all it backs up the idea that you have to be nuts to report any error you make if you can get away with it.

This poor nurse begged and pleaded with the BON to be allowed to practice even with restrictions on her license, but it got her no where. So this is their idea of "protecting the public"?

One understands there is little to no room for error when dealing with meds for any acute or very acute patient, espeically a wee baby with many issues. But as the letter writer pointed out why was one nurse (no matter how good or seasoned) left to prepare and administer calcium chloride in that instance. The hospital changed it's proceedures after the incident so obviously what came before left room for mistakes.

Nurses out there you has my sympathies. If something like this can happen to a well seasoned nurse then the rest of you are one math error away from being out of a job. Talk about pressure![/quote]

Exactly............BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD GO I.......

To hospitals we are EXPENDABLE and easily DISPOSABLE!!!

A friend of mine (NOT a nurse) stated......"Truly terrible that she took her own life. Are nurses actively fighting to get the same leniency, so to speak, and protection from such initial events that doctors are guaranteed? " To which I replied....it will NEVER happen because nurses are EXPENDABLE AND DISPOSEABLE, we don't bring in revenue (like doctors bring in patients and insurance payments), we are a constant debit on the budget, we cost the hospitals money.......it's called a paycheck, and as a general rule we don't protect each other......very sad.

THIS REALLY BOTHERS ME........This has really broken my heart :(

I have experienced and witnessed the lynching that occurs when nurses are thrown under the proverbal bus for whatever reason, under the umbrella of good intentions and some misplaced self rightous perception of holier than thou attitude...............It makes me sick....:barf02:

I pray she and her family find peace.......I pray the childs family to forgive...

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I am sorry for the losses suffered by families on both sides of this tragedy but I just can't get on board with the idea that the hospital threw the nurse under the bus.

For whatever reason she made a mistake that resulted in a death.

Accidents and mistakes happen but they still have consequences and you're still responsible for the outcome.

If you kill a patient you don't get to keep your job. Harsh? Yes but it's a natural consequence whether you've been on the job for 27 years or 27 days.

Causing the death of a patient is a career breaker even if the BoN eventually clears you to practice. To the hospital's insurance company and to the insurance company of any future employers it doesn't matter if it was a one time mistake in a long unblemished career the nurse is now uninsurable.

I also don't feel it's an admission of anything that the hospital changed it's policy after the error. It's basic risk management, policies are written or re-written any time there is a need for it, good or bad.

I can't begin to imagine the grief and guilt this nurse felt but choosing to deal with it by ending her own life is exactly that, her choice. The hospital, the BoN and the people who didn't hire her are not to blame for her suicide, she chose to end her life, she chose to inflict additional grief on her family.

Do nurses honestly think a nurse who causes the death of a patient should get to keep their job?

If a nurse caused your caused the death of your loved one you want them to keep their job?

Would you want a nurse who had cause the death of a patient to care for your loved one?

As a nurse, would you want to share patient care with a nurse who had caused the death of a patient?

My answer to all 4 questions is no.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I can't begin to imagine the grief and guilt this nurse felt but choosing to deal with it by ending her own life is exactly that, her choice. The hospital, the BoN and the people who didn't hire her are not to blame for her suicide, she chose to end her life, she chose to inflict additional grief on her family.

Do nurses honestly think a nurse who causes the death of a patient should get to keep their job?

If a nurse caused your caused the death of your loved one you want them to keep their job?

Would you want a nurse who had cause the death of a patient to care for your loved one?

As a nurse, would you want to share patient care with a nurse who had caused the death of a patient?

My answer to all 4 questions is no. quote:KIDS

The Hospital,BoN, whoever didn't "make" her commit sucide.......I get that......but they certainly lead her to the gun and showed her wher the ammo was kept. I hope you never experience that place that you feel everyone would be better off if you were dead........that you are quite literally worth more dead than alive. The amount of debt and unpaid bills had to be astronomical.....I am sure she was not eligible for unemployment....she's not disabled.....she's shunned. I truley don't believe she "CHOSE to inflict additional grief on her family". I think she knew no other way to save them.......no light, just darkness. It is hard to fathom the absolute hopelessness and helplessness as you watch everything you have worked for evaporate in front of your eyes..

Everything, Everything including your good name gone.............forever.

I think that a nurse that made an honest mistake deserves that the hospital recognizes that systems errors occur and they need to be fixed. That her true remorse and self punishment can be overhwelming and give her guidence and understanding. If an honest error was made she should be allowed to work....maybe just not in the same department.......let her educate the others how to avoid the same mistake and what that means. I would let a nurse keep her job if it was proved to be truley "accidental" and I would let them care for a loved one...it depends on the circumstances......and yes I would share a patient with a nurse that may have cased a death by accicent.......if she is a good nurse with one horrible nightmare.

Doctors are reprieved ALL the time....so are murders and child preditors......so why can't a nurse get a second chance:confused:

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this is terrible.

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Do nurses honestly think a nurse who causes the death of a patient should get to keep their job?

If a nurse caused your caused the death of your loved one you want them to keep their job?

Would you want a nurse who had cause the death of a patient to care for your loved one?

As a nurse, would you want to share patient care with a nurse who had caused the death of a patient?

My answer to all 4 questions is no.

while those are valid questions, i can tell you this:

that i wouldn't want anyone make life-changing decisions... when they're emotional and in a grievous state; and/or based on one aspect of the picture only.

and, i fully believe that before making such a decision, it'd be righteous to consider the entire person's work hx and moral character.

based on that added information, the bon could make their findings accordingly.

i just don't find it right, to destroy someone's livelihood based on a single event...with no further considerations.

all decisions (even in court) are based on a variety of data.

nothing in life should be that absolute.

leslie

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Specializes in LTC, Float Pool, Ortho, Telemetry.

"With the nurse's death, the Seattle BON closed it's investigation into the matter", as posted by DoGoodThenGo.

Absolutely correct, but I really hope they have a hard time sleeping at night. It seems that each year I continue to practice Nursing we have become targets for anything and everything. At the last hospital I worked in, it did not matter what actually caused the mistake, the Nurse was responsible for EVERYTHING! and there seems to be less and less recognition that mistakes do happen but just get rid of the Nurse in order to appease family members and reduce their their own liability. It makes me sick!:barf01:

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