In the healthcare field, medication error reporting is a hot topic after the recent verdict delivered to a nurse, RaDonda Vaught, in Tennessee. If you are not familiar with the case, Vaught was convicted of two felonies and now faces up to eight years in prison for a fatal medication mistake. While there is no question that Vaught made a mistake, and that her negligence led to a devastating outcome, the way the case was handled could have a negative impact on the integrity of error reporting and disclosure.
We are already seeing the impact and outrage over the verdict. In a time when nurses are desperately needed due to staffing shortages, many are quitting and refusing to work. The lack of support from management has led them to feel both discouraged and fearful. Now, nurses not only fear that they will lose their jobs over a medication error, but also fear prison time. This fear poses a severe risk to patient safety and here’s why.
Although healthcare workers should do everything in their power to prevent mistakes, creating an environment where human error is scorned can be dangerous to patient care. If nurses and other healthcare professionals are discouraged and punished when reporting their mistakes, then it is reasonable to expect that they will feel hesitant to do so. If there is reluctance or refusal to report errors, we cannot build a healthcare system that protects the patient. We cannot learn from mistakes if they are not brought forward, and the management team cannot develop safeguards to prevent them from happening.
Equally important is the idea that professionals must be transparent in their care for patients, to ensure that there is a mutual respect in the therapeutic relationship. When medication errors are concealed from the patient, they may lose trust or become fearful that information is being withheld. A lack of trust may prevent the patient from seeking medical care in the future and lead to further health complications. Rather, the health of the patient is better protected when there is open disclosure and more understanding of medication errors.
As with many ethical dilemmas, there may not be a clear solution to address medication errors. It is possible that future technologies can prevent mistakes, however today, the medical practice relies heavily on clinical experience, which brings human error. Even after thoughtful consideration, many questions on medication errors & reporting still stand. What is a fair punishment? Should there be punishment at all? Again, there is no doubt that the outcome of the Vaught case is heartbreaking for the patient’s family, but does punishment benefit patient safety and the future of healthcare?