What medication did the Vanderbilt nurse give the wrong patient?

'¹ Vaught incorrectly administered vecuronium, instead of Versed® (midazolam) as ordered, without patient monitoring, and immediately reported the error. VUMC fired her, negotiated a family settlement, failed to disclose the error, and reported natural cause of death.

What medication did RaDonda give the patient?

However, Vaught overrode the medical cabinet and withdrew the wrong medication. She mistakenly administered the powerful paralytic vecuronium instead, which led to total muscle paralysis and stopped Murphey's ability to breathe and caused her death.

What medication did the Vanderbilt nurse error take?

Murphey was prescribed Versed, a sedative, but Vaught inadvertently gave her a fatal dose of vecuronium, a powerful paralyzer. Charlene Murphey's son, Michael Murphey, testified at Friday's sentencing hearing that his family remains devastated by the sudden death of their matriarch.

What happened to the nurse that gave the wrong medication?

A former nurse whose medication error killed a patient in Tennessee was sentenced to three years of probation on Friday, ending a case that had prompted concern among health care workers fearful that medical mistakes will be criminalized.

What medication did RaDonda Vaught mix up?

An investigation report said that Vaught could not find a sedative named Versed in the cabinet, so she overrode a safeguard that unlocked more powerful medications. Vaught then typed "VE" into the cabinet's search tool and selected the first medication it suggested, not realizing she had chosen vecuronium, not Versed.

FATAL MEDICATION ERROR - Radonda Vaught

How did Vaught give the wrong medication?

The report goes on to state that Nurse Vaught removed the incorrect drug, did not read the label, and accidently administered vecuronium instead of Versed. Tennessee's Board of Nursing Initial Determination – The Tennessee Department of Health (“Department”) is responsible for the licensing of healthcare professionals.

What did the nurse give instead of Versed?

Vaught was tasked to retrieve Versed from a computerized medication cabinet but instead grabbed a powerful paralyzer, vecuronium.

Was vecuronium mistaken for Versed?

The patient was supposed to get Versed, a sedative intended to calm her before being scanned in a large, MRI-like machine. But Vaught accidentally grabbed vecuronium, a powerful paralyzer, which stopped the patient's breathing and left her brain-dead before the error was discovered.

Did Vaught get her license back?

RaDonda Vaught, the former nurse who was convicted of negligent homicide for a patient's death, has lost her bid to get her nursing license back.

What is RaDonda Vaught doing now?

Vaught is now working on the family farm while on supervised probation. Her record can be expunged after three years.

Why did RaDonda Vaught override the medication?

Vaught had tried to withdraw Versed from an automated dispensing cabinet, and when that did not work, she used an override which allowed her access to a larger array of medications. Murphey was to be given Versed prior to an MRI scan, a procedure requiring patients to remain very still for 15 minutes or longer.

Did the nurse from Vanderbilt go to jail?

Former VUMC nurse RaDonda Vaught sentenced to 3 years supervised probation. A former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse is sentenced to three years of supervised probation.

Did the Vanderbilt nurse lose her license?

Vanderbilt fired Ms. Vaught in January 2018, and the Tennessee Board of Nursing stripped her of her license in July 2021.

Was vecuronium injected instead of Versed?

RaDonda Vaught, 37, was also found guilty Friday of gross neglect of an impaired adult in a case that has fixed the attention of patient safety advocates and nurses' organizations around the country. Vaught injected the paralyzing drug vecuronium into 75-year-old Charlene Murphey instead of the sedative Versed on Dec.

What is the drug vecuronium used for?

Vecuronium is used to relax the muscles. It works by blocking the signals between your nerves and your muscles. Vecuronium is given before general anesthesia in preparing you for surgery. Vecuronium helps to keep your body still during surgery.

Do nurses go to jail for medication errors?

Many people are involved in medical treatment —including doctors and pharmacists — but nurses often take the fall because they ultimately administered the drug, she said. Vaught's verdict is unusual in that it happened at all. Nurses typically aren't charged with crimes for medical errors.

How many years did RaDonda Vaught serve?

Nurses around the country rallied for RaDonda Vaught during her criminal trial, saying the risk of going to prison for a mistake made nursing intolerable. Vaught was ultimately sentenced to three years of probation.

What department did RaDonda Vaught work in?

Who is RaDonda Vaught, and what did she do? RaDonda Vaught was a registered nurse in the neurointensive care unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Was RaDonda Vaught guilty of malpractice?

On March 25, 2022, a Tennessee jury found a former Vanderbilt University Medical Center nurse guilty of criminally negligent homicide and negligent abuse of an impaired adult.

Do they still use Versed?

The Versed brand name has been discontinued in the U.S. If generic versions of this product have been approved by the FDA, there may be generic equivalents available.

What reverses vecuronium?

Conclusions: Sugammadex administered at recommended doses provides rapid and predictable reversal of rocuronium and vecuronium-induced moderate and deep NMB, and effective reversal 3min after rocuronium 1.2mg/kg.

When was Versed discontinued?

While Versed itself was discontinued in the United States as of 2003, there are similar drugs available that doctors use in its place. Versed is only the brand name of the drug, midazolam.

Who should not take Versed?

History of substance use disorder. Kidney disease. An unusual or allergic reaction to midazolam, other benzodiazepines, benzyl alcohol, foods, dyes, or preservatives. Pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

What drug do the nurses often give patients to calm them down?

Midazolam injection is used to produce sleepiness or drowsiness and relieve anxiety before surgery or certain procedures.

What do paramedics use Versed for?

INDICATIONS: - On-going and/or recurrent seizure activity. - Psychiatric/behavioral emergencies (severe agitation). - Suspected Stimulant Intoxication / Excited Delirium.