A HOSPITAL nurse is standing trial for charges brought against her due to her alleged involvement in the death of a patient.
In the wake of patient Charlene Murphy’s fatal incident, hospital nurse RaDonda Vaught was named the individual allegedly responsible by law enforcement and is now facing her day in court.
On December 24, 2017, 75-year-old Charlene Murphey checked into Vanderbilt University Medical Center for a bleeding in her brain.
Three days later on December 27, Charlene died due to a mix up between medications.
She was supposed to be given the sedative, Versed, but was given vecuronium instead – an incredibly strong paralyzing medication.
The hospital nurse who distributed the vecuronium was RaDonda Vaught.
According to The Tennessean, Vanderbilt Hospital subsequently fired RaDonda in January 2018.
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At some point in the months after her firing, the hospital reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Murphey’s family regarding Charlene’s passing.
On February 4, 2019, RaDonda was arrested and charged with reckless homicide and impaired adult abuse in relation to Charlene’s death.
Weeks later on February 20, RaDonda pleaded not guilty to the charges listed against her.
Her nursing license was revoked in July 2021.
The former nurse’s trial commenced on March 22, 2022.
During the opening statements, her defense lawyer – Peter Strianse – said: “RaDonda Vaught has no agenda, but she has a voice and you will hear it.”
“She was an excellent, compassionate, caring nurse. This was a systemic problem at Vanderbilt, not a RaDonda Vaught problem.”
If the former nurse is convicted of the charges, she could possibly face more than 10 years behind bars.
Between October 2015 and January 2018, RaDonda was employed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The former nurse’s defense lawyer suggested the hospital shared fault in Charlene’s death.
Adding to his statements, Strianse added: “We are engaged in a pretty high-stakes game of musical chairs and blame-shifting.”
“And when the music stopped abruptly, there was no chair for RaDonda Vaught, Vanderbilt University Medical Center? They found a seat.”
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According to another report from The Tennessean, the hospital allegedly did not report the fatal error to health officials in the wake of Charlene’s incident.
The investigation into Vanderbilt Medical Center did not go underway until an anonymous tip was reported to the The Tennessee Department of Health and The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services.
CMS investigated Vanderbilt between October 30, 2018 to November 3, 2018.
According to documents published by the Center For Forensic Medicine in Nashville, the hospital reported Charlene’s passing was due to natural causes and that they did not disclose the medical error following her incident.
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