Nurses are often revered by society. The general pubic think of nurses as caring, helpful and healing. Certainly not as serial killers or as individuals who are out to harm loved ones. Nurses as serial killers can often be hushed up in society, allowing these nurses to not be identified quickly enough even though there are signs. They are often 'job hoppers', fired or suspended from many jobs with hospitals and moving on quietly. Nurses General Nursing Article
When we entrust our loved ones to the care of Nurses, few people really believe that they are going to be deliberately harmed by Health care professionals. Surprisingly, over 2000 Nurses worldwide have been convicted of harming, or killing their patients.
Often these nurses move around from job to job, which makes it difficult for them to be caught. Frequently these nurses are fired and suspended from jobs. Hospitals do not want negative publicity so often they will move suspicious staff to jobs where there is minimum contact with patients or just fire them, so they go away.
History shows us that there are RN's out there who do harm and kill patients.
Of all healthcare professionals who kill their patients 86% of them are nurses both male and female. They are prolific serial killers, who have the means, opportunity and ideal place to perform their crime.
On 10/14/2014 a nurse in Italy was arrested for murdering 38 of her patients because they or their family irritated her. Daniela Poggiali apparently used potassium chloride to kill her patients and even took a photo of herself next to the dead body.
Quote"Colleague described her as a 'cold person who was always eager to work.' This included the allegation from a co-worker that Poggiali would give patients strong laxatives at the end of her shift to make work more difficult for the nurses taking over."
Lainz Angels of Death were 4 nurses in Vienna who started killing their patients from 1983-1991 they admitted to 48 but it is thought that there could be as many as 200 patients who lost their lives.
Quote'It was their own carelessness that finally stopped them. Over drinks one day, they relived one of their latest cases, laughing over the patient's distress and the fact that she deserved her fate. At a table nearby sat a doctor. What he overheard sent him scurrying to the police station, and they quickly launched an investigation. It took six weeks, but all four women were arrested on April 7, 1989. The doctor in charge of their ward was suspended." Crimelibrary.com
QuoteJune 1987 to January 1992 -- Cullen works at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. The hospital said it fired Cullen, but declined to say why.February 1992 to December 1993 -- Cullen employed at Warren Hospital in Phillipsburg, N.J. Cullen quits two months after he and other nurses are questioned in the death of a 91-year-old patient.
April 1994 to October 1996 -- Cullen works at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, N.J.
November 1996 to August 1997 -- Cullen employed at Morristown Memorial Hospital in Morristown, N.J. The hospital says it fired Cullen for "poor performance."' (The Associated Press, 2004b)
QuoteGenene Jones worked at several medical clinics around San Antonio, Texas as a pediatric nurse. It is believed that during this time she injected numerous infants and babies with life-threatening drugs. The exact number of children who died as a result of Jones is unknown, however in 1985 she was convicted of killing a four-week-old child.
Quote"She seems to have been motivated by a drive for ruthless efficiency to free up a hospital bed," prosecutor Robin Spencer QC told Chester Crown Court. "One way or another she wanted these patients off her ward. She quite deliberately and brazenly overstepped the line between humane nursing and callous dispatch."
QuoteThe problems with her previous employment which involved stealing drugs was also brought to light. Plus the fact that she lied on her application and did not put that she had worked as a nurse.
QuoteThree former workers at an assisted living center pleaded guilty Monday to neglecting a dying 83-year-old Alzheimer's patient who police say was kicked and stomped by one of their co-workers. Prosecutors said the three women failed to get help for William Neff for days after he was severely beaten by a frustrated nurse's aide at the Alterra Clare Bridge personal care home in Lower Makefield in 2000. (Caruso, 2003)
During research and investigations into why Nurses kill or injure their patients many of the serial killers showed similar types of behavior. The red flags include...
As healthcare professionals we need to be vigilant and if we see abuse of patients or witness something, which doesn't seem quite right with one of co-workers, we cannot just ignore the signs, we are accountable and we must hold others accountable for their actions.
We mustn't become a passive bystander we have to look after our patients and keep them safe from harm. If you see it then say it!
It is difficult to speak up sometimes especially when it is something as serious as patient abuse, or a suspicious patient death but it is our duty to protect our patients and we have to stand and be counted!
References
Angels of Death:The female nurses by Katherine Ramsland. Retrieved from
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/angels/female_nurses/index.html
Nurse accused of killing 38 patients that she found annoying. Retrieved from Nurse accused of killing 38 patients she found annoying | New York Post
Kimberly Saenz, Angel of Death, Retrieved from Kimberly Saenz
When Nurses kill-Psychology, by Katherine Ramsland, Phd. Retrieved from When Nurses Kill | Psychology Today