Radonda Vaught Trial

Columnist · Mar 25, 2022

She will be sentenced on May 13 and could receive 2-6 years of prison and /or a fine of $3,000.

LPN Retired, LPN · Mar 25, 2022

Wow . I was hoping for something like extensive community service or something.

Wuzzie · Mar 25, 2022

9 minutes ago, LPN Retired said:

Wow . I was hoping for something like extensive community service or something.

I highly, highly doubt she will serve any time and I'm fairly certain that many of us who feel the charges are appropriate don't really think prison is.

LPN Retired, LPN · Mar 25, 2022

I hope she won't have to go to prison. Shes going to have to live with this the rest of her life . that's a big punishment . her life is ruined . her nursing education is gone .

Trauma Columnist · Mar 25, 2022

It sounds like she will serve time. Wow is all I can think.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2022

17 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Or as others (you?) have pointed out in other discussions, have a glance at your patient after you push something into them.

Or come up with another plan. Possibly what I would've done right from the beginning given the specific situation. There is no way I would've hustled off down to the bowels of the hospital to squirt some Versed that someone else didn't feel comfortable giving while on my way to a 3rd unit to do some other little non-crucial task.

That's an important take-away from all of this--there are needs and then there are wants. It is important to prioritize them appropriately at all times no matter which coworkers, admins, providers, families or patients might throw a little hissy fit. Nothing about the original scenario (the versed, the PET scan, the swallow screen in the ED) was actually urgent. Some people may want the nurse to go fast, some people may want the neuro ICU RNs to hustle down to ED for stupid swallow screens (because reasons), some people may want a patient's non-urgent PET scan to be done now instead of having to be fit into another time slot. Well, at the end of the day those are all wants.

Sorry, just ruminating. This whole thing is soooooo messed up from start to finish.

Yes this is also important to be able to prioritize and not to cave to pressure from others. I've noticed younger nurses are not always able to do this as they want to please and avoid conflict. Also when a couple family members were hospitalized and there were issues the young new nurses would not advocate for the patients. When I asked for a blood transfusion I was told the Dr didn't order it. I noticed the nurse educator mentioned the same thing that newer nurses didn't want to speak up against a Dr's orders even if there was a problem.

Granted this could have been just my experience, but it was troubling to me. One nurse in fact seemed to smile with glee when the Dr refused to give a blood transfusion when I personally pressed him. But I do not give up! I went on to one of her specialists and prevailed and got her that blood transfusion and it was for comfort measures to help her breathe because when you are anemic you are SOB and I know that from personal experience when I was young. Another time my mom was begging for water and the nurse would not give her anymore, not even a few ice chips, without calling the Dr, because of a fluid restriction this when visitors were barred. So I literally told my mom to ask for an ice pack for a headache and take some ice chips to tide herself over. Sadly she said she couldn't figure out how to open it so fell asleep crying over thirst. We have to advocate for our patients, know what the real priorities are and have judgement and absolutely look at the med before you give it!

The nurse educator's testimony really showed how valuable and important experienced nurses are for safety and to pass on knowledge to the next generation of nurses. Sadly, most of them including myself have been driven away from the bedside by deliberate actions of management to get rid of us and by dangerous, unsafe working conditions of profit over people. I just hope that the nurse educator doesn't get fired for bravely standing up and being a witness on behalf of Radonda. Sadly I'm afraid her days at Vandy will be short lived. I hope I am wrong!

I know Radonda has been found guilty, but at the same time I believe she was deliberated prosecuted in retaliation at Vanderbilt's request when their coverup was exposed and they got negative national attention and the threat of losing medicare funding. Before that they let her walk away and BON didn't even go after her. The DA actually works for Vanderbilt! The family of the victim who died has actually spoken out that they didn't want this.

Anonymous865 · Mar 25, 2022

I've been looking at sentencing guidelines for Judges in TN, and it looks like she'll get probation.

They say, "A defendant has the presumption of an alternative sentence if he/she is convicted of a C, D or E felony as a Range One standard offender."

She was convicted of a Class E felony.

They continue "Where a defendant is entitled to the statutory presumption of alternative sentencing, the State has the burden of overcoming the presumption with evidence to the contrary."

and

"Guidance as to what constitutes evidence to the contrary may be found in the following sentencing considerations contained in T.C.A. § 40-35-103(1): (A) Confinement is necessary to protect society by restraining a defendant who has a long history of criminal conduct;

(B) Confinement is necessary to avoid depreciating the seriousness of the offense or confinement is especially suited to provide an effective deterrence to others likely to commit similar offenses; or

(C) Measures less restrictive than confinement have frequently or recently been applied unsuccessfully to the defendant."

I don't think the state will argue that these apply.

The only thing that might cause her a little problem is this

"She was also charged last year with perjury in Sumner County. According to an affidavit, Vaught was trying to purchase two AR-15 firearms. She checked a box on a federal form required to get the guns saying that she was not under indictment on felony charges."

The guidelines can be found here

https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/docs/what_every_judge_should_know_about_criminal_law-ppt__handouts.pdf

ForeverYoung018 · Mar 25, 2022

After listening to the specifics of this case and listening to testimonies, I do believe that she was the scapegoat.

The argument that kept being made was the lack of monitoring after giving a "high risk medication." Now, I have no experience with Versed, but I know it's used for conscious sedation which requires monitoring. I'm guessing that the dose that was ordered wasn't a conscious sedation dose and just an anti-anxiety dose. People that are routinely on these types of medications wouldn't need the monitoring such as somebody that was getting it for the first time.

Radonda specifically asked the primary nurse if the patient needed monitoring and was told "no."

Secondly, when was there time for the patient to be monitored? She was already in the radiology department and had already been given the isotope for the scan? It sounds like the drug was given and the pt was immediately put in the scanner afterwards. The first problem I had was Radonda was not this patient's nurse. Why didn't the patient's primary nurse advocate for this patient and say," I don't feel comfortable giving this pt said drug off the floor?" Especially if Versed is such a "high risk" drug as they made it out to be in the trial.

It is unfathomable how somebody could have ignored all of the warnings especially on the vial itself. Should she have called the pharmacy to rush verify the medication so that she didn't have to conduct an override? YES. She took 100% responsibility and admitted to all of the things that she did wrong. Should she have lost her license and job? YES. But to charge her? What about the system that allowed this pt to be unmonitored in radiology? There are doctors out there who have made similar mistakes and haven't faced criminal charges.

Will this case make me more careful? Yes. Will it make nurses more reluctant to report errors? I think so.

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 25, 2022

Good. I’m okay with the lesser homicide charge. I think justice was served.

As an RN, I am in no way concerned that this is a “slippery slope.” Why? Because I always look at a med before I give it. Period.

Quote

Should she have lost her license and job? YES. But to charge her?

They only charged AFTER the BON chose not to take her license, or even discipline her.

Wuzzie · Mar 25, 2022

1 hour ago, Anonymous865 said:

The only thing that might cause her a little problem is this

"She was also charged last year with perjury in Sumner County. According to an affidavit, Vaught was trying to purchase two AR-15 firearms. She checked a box on a federal form required to get the guns saying that she was not under indictment on felony charges."

Yes, this may cause her some problems and frankly I find her behavior extremely disturbing.

guest1168940 · Mar 25, 2022

I have not read any comments. There are medical errors that nurses have done that I personally know about wrong blood pt died, nurse ignoring pt heart rate pt died, PCA set very wrong by two nurses pt died, physician intubated into the stomach teenager died, and another one anesthesia hung Cipro wide open another teenager died, nurse ran tube feeding into a child’s picc line pt died none charged with a crime and should not be, I don’t know anything about her and don’t need to, why now? Why this case?

Wuzzie · Mar 25, 2022

14 minutes ago, ForeverYoung018 said:

Secondly, when was there time for the patient to be monitored? She was already in the radiology department and had already been given the isotope for the scan?

She was in the holding area waiting for the tracer to circulate which takes about an hour. She was found unresponsive in the holding area when they went to get her for the actual scan.

15 minutes ago, ForeverYoung018 said:

Should she have called the pharmacy to rush verify the medication so that she didn't have to conduct an override?

The medication was already verified. She searched for it in the Accudose as Versed. The machine was set for generic. Had she searched for Midazolam it would have been there.

When you give Ativan or Valium do you slam the medication and walk away? I hope not. Vecuronium acts very quickly. Had she spent even 2 minutes at the bedside she would have or should have seen the affect it was having on Charlene Murphey”s respirations.

Radonda Vaught Trial

What do you think the verdict should/will be?