RaDonda Vaught is scheduled to speak at a session on systems thinking and patient safety. Nurses who attend the March 12 event, hosted by Chicago-based CommonSpirit, are eligible to earn continuing education credits.
During the session, Ms. Vaught will "explore the human factors and system issues that led to the fatal medication error for Charlene Murphey," according to the session description. "We will explore medical error prevention and systems thinking, supporting our quest to promote patient safety and achieve zero harm."
In March 2022, Ms. Vaught was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult for a fatal medication error she made in December 2017 as a nurse at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. The error involved overriding an electronic medical cabinet in which vecuronium, a powerful paralyzer, was administered instead of the sedative Versed, which led to the death of 75-year-old Charlene Murphey. Ms. Vaught faced up to eight years in prison but ultimately received three years of supervised probation in May 2022.
The case garnered national attention and spurred a far-reaching debate surrounding healthcare error reporting and patient safety culture. The American Nurses Association at the time warned the conviction could set a dangerous precedent and discourage clinicians from reporting medical errors or speaking up when they see potential risks. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement said the case should serve as a wake-up call for health systems to improve harm prevention efforts.
Ms. Vaught immediately reported her error and remained transparent throughout the legal process.
"It's an important story," she said in a two-part podcast released in the fall. "It's not just my story. There are a lot of characters: Charlene and her family play a leading role. Nursing and healthcare. Patients and the general public," she said. "Who doesn't know someone who works in healthcare or who will never be involved in being a patient in healthcare?"
CommonSpirit said the event is open to all employees "with a passion for error prevention and patient safety."