I certainly hope that everyone knows about the neo-natal nurse in the UK who is on trial for killing babies. She has been accused of murder of 7 babies from 2015-2016, and the attempted murder of 10 more. Caught in the act of one of the attempteds she tried to backpedal, to blame the deterioration on being something that was actively happening.
But, Kate, why is this so different than the Radonda Vaught case in Tennessee. Because that death happened as a swiss cheese flaw in the system. The medication that was administered should not have been at that particular pyxis, available to be given in an unmonitored place in the hospital.
But this nurse. She has been accused of willfully causing the death of several babies who should have been safe in her care. She would inject air into IV lines, or poison them with insulin, which is very hard to detect by autopsy. She was the only nurse who had been present on the unit for all the deaths and codes. Yes, it is conceivable that someone could have snuck in, but unlikely. The NICU is an open ward, with little bays for the isolettes, warming beds, and cribs.
Please read up on the case, it is chilling.
But that is not what I wanted to talk about.
I want to talk about the mirror that must be held up to the profession. And why it can be a good thing.
Can it be annoying to be the ant under the spyglass? Yes.
Can it go to far, and lead to accusations that are not true? Yes.
We have to rise above that. These are vulnerable people. They are the ones in hospitals, and they are in the healthcare worker’s care. We are observed, our charting is minutely gone over for errors. All of this is to keep the patients safe.
It can be good when a mirror is held up, because someone should be watching. These are people’s lives that depend on us. We need to remember that.
And to not kill the patients.
No, not even for whatever twisted satisfaction it gives you, just don’t
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 