The nursing community was shocked and saddened with the conviction of former RN RaDonda Vaught for criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult. She mistakenly administered vecuronium rather than Versed to a 75-year-old woman awaiting an imaging procedure. The patient died.

Nurses are at the sharp end of errors, the point where the error reaches the patient, and are therefore vulnerable to blame. How can the healthcare systems better protect caregivers at the sharp end and the patients in their care from harm?

The panel discusses key issues related to the Vaught case, including…

• The impact on the reporting of near misses and adverse events
• Nursing retention
• Public perception about medical error
• The immediate, short- and long-term impact of serious adverse effects on everyone involved