Letters
Opportunity may be more important than profession in serial homicide
BMJ 2001; 322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7292.993 (Published 21 April 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;322:993
- Cameron Stark (Cameron.Stark@hhb.scot.nhs.uk), consultant in public health medicine,
- Brodie Paterson, lecturer,
- Brian Kidd, consultant psychiatrist
- Highland Health Board, Assunt House, Inverness IV2 3HG
- Department of Nursing, Stirling University, Stirling FK9 4LA
- Forth Valley Primary Care NHS Trust, Royal Scottish National Hospital, Larbert FK7 8AH
EDITOR—Kinnell suggests that the incidence of serial homicide among doctors may indicate a pathological interest in the power of life and death.1 He notes that other professions may have fewer murderers. Our analysis of serial killers in nursing suggests an alternative interpretation.2
At least in relation to the murder of patients, nursing provides further examples of healthcare staff who have murdered patients in their care. In …
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