RaDonda Vaught Sentenced to Three Years Probation After Injecting Patient with Wrong Drug

Vanderbilt University Medical Centre's former nurse, RaDonda Vaught, was found guilty in March 2022 of reckless homicide and impaired adult abuse.

She was accused of injecting 75-year-old Charlene Murphy in 2017 with a paralyzing drug, Vecuronium, causing her to be unable to breathe when she was supposed to receive a sedative called Versed.

According to USA Today, "Vaught received a diverted sentence on Friday [May 13, 2022], meaning that if she meets the terms of her probation, the charges can be wiped from her record down the road.” 

Vaught was found to miss several points before injecting the medication and not personally monitoring vitals after giving the medication. However, there was no evidence found that she intended to kill Murphey.

Related: Should RaDonda Vaught Have Her Nursing License Reinstated?

During sentencing in Nashville, Tennessee, Vaught apologized to Murphy's family, saying, "I'm sorry doesn't seem like enough, but you deserve to hear that and know that I am very sorry for what happened."

Murphy's son and two daughters-in-law sat quietly and nodded along. She added, "When Ms. Murphy died, a part of me died with her.”

Vaught expressed experiencing anxiety and depression and acknowledges that Murphy's family also has suffering to endure. She stated, "It is not an easy task for me to stand here in front of you and in front of Miss Murphey's family... knowing the four and a half years they have suffered since this and ask for your leniency.”

American Nurses Association Comments

American Nurses Association presented a statement in response to the conviction in 2022, saying it sets a dangerous example of "criminalizing the honest reporting of mistakes" and that some medical errors are "inevitable" and there are more "effective and just mechanisms" to address them than criminal prosecution.

Vaught had tremendous support from the medical community throughout this case. Healthcare professionals have spoken up about the worry of having medical mistakes criminalized, as licensing boards generally assess medical errors. 

Background Information

Murphey was admitted for a subdural hematoma on Christmas Eve in 2017. She was moved to the intensive care unit and was ordered a scan to identify the cause of the brain bleed, which required her to lie still.

She was claustrophobic and was prescribed Versed.

At the time, Vaught worked in the ICU to help nurses with their workload. Her attempts to retrieve the medication were unsuccessful, and she ultimately ignored a safeguard prompt allowing access to potent drugs. Vaught accidentally pulled Vecuronium and injected Murphy with the drug.

Edited Jun 23, 2023 by Joe V