Kentucky law decriminalizes medical errors

A Kentucky law (HB 159) shields nurses and other health care workers from criminal punishments for making honest mistakes while providing care. The state is the first to enact such legislation, which resulted from the criminal conviction of RaDonda Vaught, RN. A Tennessee jury found her guilty in 2022 of negligent homicide and gross neglect of an impaired adult for injecting a patient with the wrong medication, resulting in her death. Nurses and health care leaders worried a fear of criminal charges could decrease voluntary reporting and cooperation ─ essential components to making systemic changes to prevent further errors. (Nurse.com article, 5/14/24)