Exactly. Even if it was a typical routine human error “med error” that resulted in harm, I don’t compare that to the homicide of Mrs. Murphey...
Not sure if you’re aware of the death of Kim Hiatt (you’re in Australia if I’m not mistaken?) but she made a calculation error with some calcium ?gluconate which resulted in the overdose and death of a baby in the PICU. She wasn’t criminally prosecuted but was fired, and was so distraught she committed suicide.
Based on what I know of that case, I don’t think I would have indicted her. It was an arithmetic/algebra mistake in an urgent situation, and the baby’s little body was compromised to begin with. (I believe she had some CHD things and sick enough to be in a PICU.). She immediately realized what happened and reported her mistake, and clearly felt tremendous personal responsibility.
RV bypassed multiple safety checks including 1st semester nursing school “five rights.” She didn’t miscalculate the dose of an ordered medication; she gave a med which can never EVER be given without mechanical ventilation. No matter how physically healthy a person is, there are exactly zero people who can tolerate a paralyzed diaphragm. Then she left that patient unmonitored. Had she stayed after what she believed was pushing Versed, she would have seen that she was desatting and could have started bagging immediately, and could have saved that poor woman.
I’ll say it again, she was reckless which caused Mrs Murphey’s death... reckless homicide is criminal; why should she NOT be charged criminally? She doesn’t get to commit reckless homicide and face no charges, if anyone else would face charges. If anything as an RN I think she should be held to a higher standard...
but definitely not a LOWER standard because well she’s a nurse and nurses are human and who hasn’t made a med error and who orders Versed for a scan anyway and hospitals will always throw the nurse under the bus and this could set a scary precedent and oh the humanity........
