Wow, that story is insane! I'm so glad your girlfriend recovered and is OK. I've had like 6 surgeries and that kind of scenario is scary as hell.

As for nurses not having background checks, after the Cullen case, that was changed. They do have to pass background checks now. His crimes really shined a light on all the ways a criminal could get away with nearly anything, so it's a good thing lawmakers worked to fix that. It's a lot safer now (though thanks to tort reform, it's now difficult to impossible to sue a doctor for malpractice).