Nurse participation in legal executions: An ethics round-table discussion

A paper was published in 2003 discussing the ethics of nurses participating in executions by inserting the intravenous line for lethal injections and providing care until death. This paper was circulated on an international email list of senior nurses and academics to engender discussion. From that discussion, several people agreed to contribute to a paper expressing their own thoughts and feelings about the ethics of nurses participating in executions in countries where capital punishment is legal. While a range of opinions were presented, these opinions fell into two main themes. The first of these included reflections on the philosophical obligations of nurses as caregivers who support those in times of great need, including condemned prisoners at the end of life. The second theme encompassed the notion that no nurse ever should participate in the active taking of life, in line with the codes of ethics of various nursing organisations. This range of opinions suggests the complexity of this issue and the need for further public discussion

Don't get lost in translation: nursing children as medical tourists

Medical tourism is a growing trend in health care as families seek more affordable options in medical care and treatment for their children. Children who require care outside their home country present special challenges, dilemmas and issues for nurses who must provide that care. Culture, language and social support must all be considered In a family-centred care approach. This paper explores the emergence of medical tourism as a health care phenomenon, and explores the essential skills of an experienced paediatric medical tourism nurse In Israel