Pamela Graham, MSN, RN, LNC
There was a collective gasp across the country amongst all health professionals following the criminal conviction of Tennessee Registered Nurse RaDonda Vaught for “reckless homicide” and “gross neglect of an impaired adult." For any practicing nurse, the precedence of this conviction and the staffing and prevention issues surrounding COVID are enough to make any nurse immediately resign or retire. Is it any wonder the nursing shortage has roused itself once again?
As a defense attorney, your reassuring strengths and skills are to guide your client through a most confusing and frightening time in their career and, now, as Ms. Vaught can attest, life. The nurse must journey through the trauma of a licensing hearing process that may likely take his or her professional license, livelihood and a beloved profession. There is also the probability of a civil suit for “wrongful death” or some claim of harm for which, hopefully, professional liability insurance will cover.
Criminal charges must be the worst issue to face. In North Carolina, the charge probably would have been “involuntary manslaughter," the “unintentional killing of another person resulting from recklessness or criminal negligence.” As a defense attorney, defining “intent” and “recklessness” comes with the job; however, how do you define the intent of a nurse who removes the wrong drug from an electronic medication dispensing machine? A machine that required being overridden to obtain the medication ordered? Within a delivery system that apparently required nurses to consistently override it to obtain different medications? Is that “recklessness”? Or is that the current ‘standard’ for that facility at that moment?
There were other extenuating circumstances that drew concerns about the Just Culture philosophy to which we supposedly espouse. While Ms. Vaught reported her error and admitted her fault, the health care delivery system failed to report the incident to the State as required. Ultimately, Ms. Vaught’s failure was that she did not confirm that she had the right medication. The institution failed to report a Sentinel Event. They had the ‘deep pockets’ to settle the case. Ms. Vaught faced criminal charges. It was a horrific error and caused the death of a family’s loved one.
Then comes Michelle Hewitt, a Forsyth County correctional facility nurse charged with “involuntary manslaughter” or “criminal negligence” in the death of inmate, John Neville. Mr. Neville reportedly fell from his bunk and was rendered aid by five correctional officers and Ms. Hewitt. He unfortunately passed away under their care. Now, all five correctional officers and Ms. Hewitt have been charged. It would be interesting to see what failures in the system, aggravating factors and mitigating circumstances influenced this horrible incident.
Defense attorneys have their work cut out for them. Having a Legal Nurse Consultant on your team can help find these nuances and details to define what was “negligent” or “reckless." An LNC is a Registered Nurse who has practiced in a clinical setting and understands what it is like “inside” the practice setting. Most have regulatory experience with a good grasp of what standards and deviations from those standards mean. They can quickly help identify where and how the failures occurred and guidance on evidenced-based references and resources. The LNC can also serve as a trusted colleague and counselor for your nurse-client enduring probably the most frightening time of his or her career.
Don’t go it alone! Have a Legal Nurse Consultant for your team when needed to assist and advise. Your health professional clients will thank you!
Pamela Graham, MSN, RN, LNC is a Legal Nurse Consultant with Pamela Graham LNC, PLLC.
She is a member of the American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants.
