Vaught is on trial for the death of Charlene Murphey, a 75-year-old Vanderbilt patient who died on Dec. 27, 2017, after she was prescribed a sedative, Versed, but was inadvertently injected with a powerful paralyzer, vecuronium. Vaught does not deny she accidentally confused the drugs but has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Her trial a rare example of a health care professional facing prison for a medical error has been closely watched by nurses across the country who worry it could set a precedent for future prosecutions. In the wake of Murphey’s death, Vanderbilt took several actions that resulted in the medication error not being disclosed to the government or the public, according to county, state, and federal records related to the death. Vanderbilt did not report the error to state or federal regulators as required by law, a federal investigation report states. The hospital told the local medical examiner’s office that Murphey died of “natural” causes, with no mention of vecuronium, according to Murphey’s death certificate and Davidson County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Feng Li. Vanderbilt also fired Vaught and negotiated an out-of-court settlement with Murphey’s family that barred them from publicly discussing the death. The error was revealed months later when an anonymous tip alerted Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Tennessee Department of Health. The health department also alerted the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which began a criminal investigation.