Practice Issues

Here you will find nursing practice issues and resources on navigating them.

Criminal Charges Against Nurses: What You Should Know and What You Can Do

A Free On-Demand Webinar

In February 2019, RaDonda Vaught, RN, was arrested on a criminal indictment and charged with reckless homicide and abuse of an impaired adult after mistakenly administering the wrong medication that killed an elderly patient in 2017. This spring, Nurse Vaught was found guilty and sentenced to three years supervised probation.

Nurses across the United States were shaken by these shocking events. Many are now worried that their mistakes can result in prosecution and possible imprisonment. 

This webinar, presented by Edie Brous, JD, RN, a nationally acclaimed nurse attorney, nurse advocate and speaker, will address those fears and evaluate the Vaught case within the context of other cases in which health care professionals have been criminally charged. 

Topics to be addressed include:

• How criminal charges for medical errors undermine patient safety
• Just culture and support for the Second Victim
• How professional organization have responded to medical errors
• Examples of similar cases and the risk of cases being brought against nurses for medical errors in the future
• Steps you can take to reduce your criminal liability
• How to become involved in addressing the issue of criminalization of medical errors

Click here to access the webinar.