Keywords

Medical Humanities, Nursing Education, Nursing Ethics, Professional Identity Formation, Reflective Writing

 

Authors

  1. Kruse, Julie A.
  2. Wald, Hedy S.

Abstract

Abstract: Reflecting on history of medicine and nursing in the Holocaust scaffolds professional identity formation. Students grapple with 1) nurses' active participation in identifying/killing patients with mental and physical disabilities, camouflaged as "euthanasia" or "mercy killing" of German citizens and others, preceding mass murder of Jews and others at death camps; 2) involvement in unethical, cruel experiments; 3) resistance narratives; and 4) relevance for contemporary nursing. Impact of a seminar/colloquium on historical knowledge and personal/professional relevance included reported increased historical awareness/knowledge and themes of nurse as patient advocate/judicious obedience, importance of ethics/values adherence, and value of art/reflective writing for processing experience.