Stacie L. Patterson Law Blog

After 24 years Kimberly Hiatt made her first serious mistake as a nurse.  Hiatt administered ten times the amount of calcium chloride that her patient, 8 month old Kaia Zautner, required.  The accidental overdose may have contributed to the death of her patient and ultimately, cost Hiatt her life.  Since the incident last September, old questions and concerns regarding health care providers and their practices have resurfaced, and new concerns have arisen.

The basic facts of this case are as follows:  Kaia Zautner was critically ill.  Hiatt administered calcium chloride.  Hiatt immediately realized she had administered too much medication to Kaia.  Upon realizing her mistake she filed the appropriate report stating that she recognized the error had been made and vowed not to repeat it.  Prior to the incident, Hiatt had glowing reviews and an outstanding record as a health care provider.

After the incident Hiatt was escorted from the property and put on administrative leave.  She was fired within weeks of the incident.  Hiatt claimed that her firing was because of her sexual orientation.  However, the hospital insisted that the termination was based solely on the incident.   The state nursing commission (Washington State) opened an investigation to decide whether or not Hiatt's license should be revoked.  Instead of revocation, they imposed sanctions; a $3,000 fine, 80 hours of new course work of medication administration, and four years of probation in which any supervisor would be required to report on her work, every 90 days.  Her termination from the hospital was completely separate from the the nursing commissions 
investigation.  Hiatt was said to be "devastated."  She feared that with such a blemish on her record she would never find another nursing job.  She hanged herself in April of this year.

Health care providers' mistakes can have serious and even fatal consequences. However, patients are better served if medical professionals are encouraged to report their errors. The Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) has reported more concern from nurses since Kimberly Hiatt's story became public. "A survey of WSNA nurses in the months after Hiatt's case became public found that half of respondents believe their mistakes will be held against them personally. Even more worrisome, nearly a third say they would hesitate to report an error or patient safety concern because they're afraid of retaliation or harsh discipline."  (As quoted from theblaze.com)

No one desires to encourage malpractice.  This article intends to highlight sanctions and punishments and further the discussion of whether or not severe sanctions encourage health care providers to conceal their mistakes.

If you are a health care provider facing sanctions, call Attorney Stacie L. Patterson.  (619) 269-8074