MADISON, Wis. -- A former nurse was charged on Thursday with criminal neglect , four months after a 16-year-old Fitchburg girl died from an apparent drug error at St. Mary's Hospital.

Julie Thao, 41, of Belleville, allegedly injected an epidural anesthetic, thinking it was a prescribed dose of penicillin, into Jasmine Gant (pictured right) last July. The epidurals are meant for the back, but in this instance, one was injected into Gant's arm, WISC-TV reported.

Gant died within an hour after the injection. Officials said that she died from cardiac arrest, WISC-TV reported. The criminal complaint said that Gant died from "a rapid infusion of lethal chemicals into her bloodstream."

Gant was hospitalized to give birth. Her son was delivered successfully by Caesarean section. Gant had a strep infection, and her doctor had ordered penicillin to be administered to prevent infection of the baby.

Thao was charged in Dane County with neglect in Gant's death.

Investigators allege that the nurse's actions went well beyond any ordinary mistake. A criminal complaint alleges Thao failed to follow nearly every safeguard put in place to prevent medication errors at St. Mary's.

Justice Department officials said that Thao failed to follow any hospital protocol or read or scan the drug label. Justice officials, who have authority over Medicaid patients like Gant, said that Thao had no doctor's order to remove the epidural drug from a locked case and injected the drug at a rate too quickly in order to save time, WISC-TV reported.

A department spokesman said that a slower rate would have meant a greater likelihood of saving the teen's life.

"This is not ordinary neglect. This rises to the level that is expressly prohibited by the laws of this state," said William Hanrahan, assistant attorney general. "This is beyond being a mistake. This is something that was foreseeable. This is something that was preventable."

Thao allegedly told authorities that she brought the epidural into the room, placed it on a counter and then another nurse entered the birthing suite delivering a penicillin bag and also placed it on the counter.

The complaint said that "contrary to what others present in the room reported, the defendant insisted Gant began 'crying' and was in a 'panic' … and that that caused (her) to inadvertently scoop up the bag containing the epidural and not look at the medication."

Thao allegedly told regulators, "I allow priority for compassion to override the need for detail."

Thao faces a count of neglect of a patient causing great bodily harm, carrying a maximum prison sentence of six years upon conviction.

The 16-year nurse, who no longer works at St. Mary's, previously had a clean record, WISC-TV reported.

Officials with the Wisconsin Hospital Association said that it is shocked by a criminal charge it believes isn't necessary. They said that the charge is unprecedented and cruel:

"It's not that we don't believe that health care providers need to be accountable for the practice, but should they be charged criminally when they make an unintentional error," said Dana Richardson, vice president of Quality for the Hospital Association. "I think that that's a question that is going to have possible negative effects the health care workforce in the future."

Justice investigators said that the case isn't a precedent and that they prosecute for neglect all the time, WISC-TV reported.

St. Mary's officials said that it is saddened by the charge.

WISC-TV was unable to reach Thao for comment