Exploring nursing ethics in executions and other end-of-life scenarios

Professor Linda Shields from Charles Sturt University is a specialist in nursing ethics. She has co-written a book on the role of nurses in Nazi Germany’s forced euthanasia programs and recently authored an opinion paper on the role of nurses in the fulfillment of capital punishment, titled Nurse Participation in Legal Executions: An Ethics Round-Table Discussion, which was published in Nursing Ethics.

“This paper brings together the views of 12 senior nurses from Australia, the United States and United Kingdom discussing the ethics of nurses being part of the process of executing a person condemned to die,” Shields said. “Our intention is to highlight to the nursing world that this is occurring, to show a range of opinions and stances and to initiate discussion, argument and analysis of the topic.”

Nursing Review spoke to Professor Shields about the role of nurses in end of life situations, also including abortions and voluntary euthanasia.