An RN Administered the Wrong Medication to a Patient and the Patient

question 20

Essay

An RN administered the wrong medication to a patient and the patient died. She was arrested and charged with homicide, among other things. Can the hospital be brought up on charges if it is found the system, not the RN, was the root cause of the error? What does this kind of case mean to health care managers with respect to precedent? If the RN is convicted of homicide and sentenced to serve time in jail, what kind of effect do you think this will have on hospitals, healthcare organizations, and the profession of nursing?

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Definitions:

Employee Turnover

The rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced by new employees over a specified period, affecting organizational stability and costs.

Workforce Rightsizing

The process of adjusting the size of a company's workforce to match its current needs.

Infrastructure Costs

Expenses associated with the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, such as roads, utilities, and buildings.

Fixed Assets

Long-term tangible assets held by an organization for producing goods or services, not expected to be converted to cash in the short term.