Nurse Charged With Felony in Fatal Medical Error

Nurse Charged With Felony in Fatal Medical Error
The article is http://asq.org/qualitynews/qnt/execute/displaySetup?newsID=1056, entitled Nurse Charged With Felony in Fatal Medical Error.
Nurse Charged With Felony in Fatal Medical Error
Medical Ethics Advisor
February 2, 2007
A Wisconsin nurse who was arrested on a felony charge stemming from an unintentional medical error that led to the death of a patient last summer will serve three years of probation after pleading no contest to reduced charges, but medical and nursing societies are concerned about the effect the case might have in future medical error situations.
Julie Thao was a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, WI, in the summer of 2006 when 16-year-old Jasmine Gant was admitted to give birth. Through a series of actions, shortcuts, and omissions, all of which Thao accepted responsibility for at her sentencing in December, she mistakenly gave Gant an epidural anesthetic (Buvipacaine) intravenously. Gant was supposed to receive an IV antibiotic for a strep infection. Within minutes of receiving the epidural IV, Gant suffered seizures and died. Her child, a boy, was delivered by emergency Caesarean section and survived.
According to the investigator’s report, Thao:
�improperly removed the epidural bag from a locked storage system without authorization or permission;
�did not scan the bar code on the epidural bag, which would have told her it was the wrong drug;
�ignored a bright pink warning label on the bag that stated the drug was for epidural administration only; and
. �disregarded St. Mary’s “5 rights” rule for drug administration � right patient, right route, right medication, right dose, and right time.
News reports quoted Thao saying, “This was my mistake, everything was my fault” at the time of her plea. She will serve three years on probation, her license has been suspended for nine months, and should she return to nursing (she was fired from St. Mary’s), she will face close scrutiny of her hours and work performance.
Despite the action by the state nursing board in chastising Thao and suspending her license, medical and nursing associations have been almost unanimous in protesting the felony criminal charges in a case of a mistake.
“It is imperative that all health care professionals do everything possible to ensure that medical errors do not happen. Patient safety is critical,” according to Ruth Heitz, JD, general counsel to the Wisconsin Medical Society. “But to use the criminal justice system in this unprecedented manner to prosecute acts of unintentional medical errors is likely to have a chilling effect on the practice of medicine.
“Humans make mistakes. That is an unfortunate reality.”
St. Mary’s Hospital faced regulatory action and possible loss of its Medicare contract in the wake of Gant’s death, but the violations were retracted when St. Mary’s initiated staff re-education programs to address the issues that led to the error.
State and federal regulatory and licensing agencies’ investigations “will improve the safety and quality of care” at Wisconsin hospitals and “will have a profound impact on the hospital, hospital staff” and Thao, according to Dana Richardson, RN, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
“We are concerned, however, that unlike the other agencies involved in this case, actions by the [Department of Justice charging Thao] will actually have a negative impact statewide on the accessibility to and quality of care provided in Wisconsin,” says Richardson. “Health professionals enter health care knowing that a mistake could cost them their license, livelihood, and financial stability. What is incomprehensible is entering a career where a single error could lead to imprisonment.”
The state nursing board has suggested that Thao was overworked on the day of the error. She had worked a 16-hour shift that ended at midnight the previous day, and slept at the hospital so she could be back on duty at 7 a.m. Gant’s death occurred shortly after noon.
As part of the sanction by the state board, if Thao returns to work as a nurse, she cannot work more than 12 hours a day, and she is limited in the areas of hospital nursing she can practice.
Prepare a Microsoft� PowerPoint� presentation with detailed speaker notes that discusses a current legal issue from the news media or your own professional practice, affecting an individual or group of nurses. For confidentiality reasons, do not use real names from your own practice. Examples of legal issues include the following:
Include the following in your presentation:
�Judicial process and health care laws
�Professional standards of practice
�Malpractice and disciplinary action issues
�Ethical issues
�Issues surrounding appropriate documentation
�Nursing practice act requirements
�At least three peer reviewed references from scholarly journals in the University Library.
NOTE !!!
This is a group work and below is my assigned portion
Slide 1: Issues surrounding appropriate documentation
Slide 2: Nursing practice act requirements
Slide3: Conclusion


Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764

Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764
Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764
NURS 563: Evidence-Based Practice for Quality & Safety – 3 credits
This course provides learners with a theoretical and practical foundation for identifying and critically appraising evidence from qualitative and quantitative research traditions. The emphasis is on the examination of the essential elements of evidence-based-practice, including the formulation of answerable questions to address quality improvement and safety in a variety of advance practice roles and the systematic search for research evidence that can be used to answer researchable questions.
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NURS 700: Theoretical Foundations for Doctor of Nursing Practice – 3 credits

This course focuses on examining philosophical and scientific knowledge development in nursing practice and the implications for practice. Emphasis will be on the analysis, critique, and application of nursing middle-range and other theories related to nursing practice. Prerequisites: NURS 563 and NURS 708. Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764.
NURS 701: DNP Practicum I: Integrative Application of Evidence-Based Practice – 1-3 credits

This practicum course provides the student an opportunity to work within a practice setting to begin to design his or her DNP project. The student also begins to establish the expanded advanced nursing DNP role focusing on a population of interest. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience. Prerequisite: NURS 700. Corequisite: NURS 761.
NURS 702: DNP Practicum II: Application of Evidence-Based Practice – 1-3 credits

The DNP student works with a faculty mentor to begin implementation of his or her DNP project. The student also establishes the expanded advanced nursing DNP role focusing on a population of interest. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience. Prerequisites: NURS 701 and NURS 761 Corequisite: NURS 762.
NURS 703: DNP Practicum III: Application of Evidence-Based Practice – 1-3 credits

The DNP student continues to work with a faculty mentor to implement his or her DNP project. This includes analysis of data and drafting a report of the DNP project. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum experience. Prerequisites: NURS 702 and NURS 762, Corequisite: NURS 763. Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764.
NURS 704: Application of Evidence-Based Practice IV – 1-3 credits

In this final practicum course, the DNP student completes the implementation and evaluation of his or her DNP project. The student also completes the final written report of the project and disseminates the findings through preparation of a manuscript suitable for a peer-reviewed publication along with an abstract that is submitted for a podium or poster presentation at a major conference. The student is required to submit an individualized practicum proposal and objectives for the practicum Prerequisites: NURS 703 and NURS 763, Corequisite: NURS 764.
NURS 705: DNP Immersion – 1 credit

The on-campus “immersion” must be completed by all DNP students within a semester or two of enrolling in NURS 701 and NURS 761. This course introduces students to Jesuit values and ethical decision-making. Students also learn about the DNP role, expectations, and the importance of crystallizing their ideas for their DNP project early in the program. Requirements for completion of an IRB application, guidelines for formation of a DNP project team, the proposal and final defense processes, and steps to complete a scholarly project are emphasized. Students are oriented to library databases for distance students and creation of an electronic portfolio. They are introduced to the fundamentals of writing for publication and participate in an interactive session designed to bring focus to their DNP project.  Prerequisite: NURS 700
NURS 708: Inferential Statistics (if not taken within previous 5 years) – 3 credits

The purpose of this course is to review statistical concepts such as descriptive statistics, probability distributions (binomial and normal), sampling distributions, inferences (point estimates and confidence intervals), hypotheses testing (one-sample tests, two-sample tests), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), as well as simple linear regression and multiple regression analysis. The course emphasizes the application of statistical concepts to analyze research for best available evidence to support quality nursing practice. The course also provides students with hands-on experience in using statistical software (Mega Stat) to assist in making effective decisions. Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764.
NURS 710: Population-Focused Care – 3 credits

This course focuses on developing and evaluating health promotion and disease prevention interventions targeting population-based health. The environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural context of health behaviors will be explored. The use of epidemiology and evidence-based research to inform clinical prevention programs and policy solutions for population health disparities are emphasized.
NURS 720: Evidence Synthesis for Practice – 3 credits

This course emphasizes how to create answerable questions relevant to the role of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to address specific patient/client problems or situations and critically appraise types of data generated through research in both qualitative and quantitative traditions. The focus is on evaluating the adequacy of research questions, methodologies, and the presentation of findings. The DNP student will be prepared to use epidemiological data to identify the causes of disease and to evaluate health services. In addition, the course emphasizes an examination of knowledge transformation, including the systematic search for research evidence to answer research questions and the synthesis of evidence for knowledge translation across a body of research.
NURS 730: Clinical Program Development, Implementation, and Evaluation – 3 credits

This course emphasizes the steps involved in the development of a business plan for the creation of a new clinical service or program or a clinical practice. Students will conduct a needs assessment, develop mission and values statements, create the program design, conduct a financial analysis, and design evaluation strategies and measures. Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764.
NURS 740: Quality Improvement, Information Management, and Leadership in Health Care – 3 credits

This course emphasizes strategic planning and management, systems and organizational theories, quality improvement, and information management. It acquaints students with the process, tools and techniques of strategic planning that will enable them to manage patient populations and to contribute effectively to strategic thinking and action in health systems. The course focuses on leadership and the process of health care delivery from a systems perspective, emphasizing continuous process improvement as crucial to achieving high quality outcomes.
NURS 750: Health Policy and Advocacy – 3 credits

This course focuses on the leadership role of the DNP in influencing health policy makers and health policy development emphasizing interprofessional collaboration. The effect of nursing scholarship on health policy and advocacy will be explored. The regulatory and ethical environments that impact DNP practice are examined considering Ignatian values and social justice principles. Strategies for designing and leading the implementation of public, professional, and institutional polices relating to local, regional, national, and international health care and its delivery are considered.
NURS 761: Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar I – 2 credits

This is the first of a series of four seminars that provide the DNP student with mentored opportunities to identify a practice issue and develop, implement, evaluate, and disseminate an independent, analytic, and DNP project focusing on problems of advanced nursing practice within specific populations. Each seminar course builds on the knowledge and practice expertise of the DNP student, culminating in the completion of a DNP project. The range of projects will vary as they relate to the DNP student’s unique area of nursing, e.g., quality improvement, analyzing policy, designing and using databases, designing and evaluating new models of care, collaboration with researchers to answer clinical questions, program development, implementation, and evaluation. The student also examines the DNP role in relation to clinical scholarship and leadership. Prerequisites: NURS 700 Corequisite: NURS 701.
NURS 762: Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar II – 2 credits

The DNP student refines the design of his or her DNP project, including the data collection and evaluation plans. Students must successfully complete an oral defense of the planned project prior to beginning implementation. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisites: NURS 761 and 701, Corequisite: NURS 702.
NURS 763 Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar III – 1 credit

The DNP student continues to refine the evidence-based DNP project specific to a population of interest within a practice setting. (DNP Essentials I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX) Prerequisites: NURS 762 and 702, Corequisite: NURS 703. Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764.
NURS 764: Integrative Application of Evidence for Advanced Practice Seminar IV – 1 credit

In this final seminar course, the student will present the final defense of his or her DNP project through an oral presentation that addresses the topic of interest, the development and implementation of the project, how it addressed the needs of a selected population, and an evaluation of the project and outcomes. Students will apply knowledge and skills obtained in the didactic and integrative courses to address the ethical, legal, financial and organizational aspects of the DNP project. Prerequisites: NURS 763 and 703, Corequisite: NURS 704. Gonzaga University DNP Course Essay Assignments – NURS 563, 700, 701, 705, 710, 720, 730, 761, 764.


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