NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled on March 20, 2025, that RaDonda Vaught’s nursing license will remain revoked, affirming a decision made by the Tennessee Board of Nursing in 2021. The court’s opinion, issued by Judge Thomas R. Frierson II, concluded that Vaught had waived certain legal defenses in her initial administrative proceedings, ultimately upholding the revocation.
The central issue in the case was the Tennessee Board of Nursing’s decision to revoke Vaught’s nursing license following a criminal conviction. Vaught, who was found guilty in 2022 of criminally negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult after a fatal medication error in 2017, sought to challenge the revocation by appealing to the court. She argued that the doctrines of res judicata and collateral estoppel—legal principles that prevent the re-litigation of cases—should apply to her case, particularly in light of a letter from a doctor who had testified both at her administrative hearing and her criminal trial.
Initially, a trial court had agreed that Vaught had not waived these defenses but still declined to reverse the Board’s decision to revoke her license. Vaught subsequently appealed that ruling, hoping to have the revocation overturned.
However, the Court of Appeals disagreed, stating that Vaught had waived the defenses of res judicata and collateral estoppel by failing to raise them during the administrative proceedings. As a result, the appellate court reversed the trial court’s ruling on that matter while affirming the decision to revoke her license. The ruling means Vaught will remain barred from practicing as a nurse in Tennessee.
The case has garnered national attention since Vaught’s criminal conviction in 2022, which stemmed from a medication error that led to the death of 75-year-old Charlene Murphey. In the wake of her conviction, Vaught was sentenced to three years of supervised probation. While the conviction was a significant part of her legal battle, Vaught also sought to address issues surrounding the Board’s disciplinary actions.
Vaught has stated that her aim in challenging the revocation of her nursing license was not to return to the profession but to raise awareness about what she sees as flaws in the healthcare system and the handling of her case by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. Despite the outcome, she remains determined to bring attention to the systemic issues she believes contributed to her situation.
Notably, the case dates back to 2018, when an initial complaint was filed against Vaught. The Tennessee Department of Health initially determined that the complaint did not warrant further action, but two months later, the department reopened the investigation after receiving additional complaints. This ultimately led to Vaught’s criminal conviction and the subsequent revocation of her nursing license.
The Appeals Court emphasized that the evidence reviewed in the case supported the Board’s decision. “We determine that Ms. Vaught waived the affirmative defenses of res judicata and collateral estoppel through her failure to raise those doctrines before the Board in the first instance,” the opinion read. “Accordingly, we reverse the trial court’s determination relative to that issue. In all other respects, we affirm the trial court’s November 27, 2023 order upholding the Board’s decision to revoke Ms. Vaught’s nursing license.”
As part of the ruling, all court costs were assessed to Vaught.
Vaught’s legal team has not indicated any further plans for appeal, but her case continues to spark discussion regarding the balance between legal accountability and the broader issues facing the healthcare system.
