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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

Published on: August 5, 2020

Serial murder by healthcare professionals.

Beatrice Crofts Yorker¹, Kenneth W Kizer, Paula Lampe

¹College of Health and Human Services, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8160, USA. byorker@calstatela.edu

Journal of Healthcare Protection Management : Publication of the International Association for Hospital Security

|April 16, 2008

Summary

Healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, have been prosecuted for serial murder of patients. A review of 90 cases found injection and suffocation were common methods, highlighting the need for systemic changes in patient safety and hiring practices.

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Setup and Execution of the Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice Death Notification Curriculum

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Published on: January 15, 2017

Area of Science:

Medical Ethics
Criminology
Public Health

Background:

The case of Charles Cullen, a nurse convicted of murdering numerous patients, underscores the critical issue of serial murder within healthcare settings.
Understanding the scope and patterns of serial murder by healthcare professionals is essential for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze criminal prosecutions of healthcare providers for patient serial murder between 1970 and 2006.
To identify methods, demographics, and geographical distribution of healthcare professionals prosecuted for patient murder.

Main Methods:

Conducted a LexisNexis search for criminal prosecutions of healthcare providers meeting serial murder criteria.
Reviewed epidemiological studies, toxicology evidence, and court transcripts for data analysis.
Included cases prosecuted between 1970 and 2006 from 20 countries.

Main Results:

Ninety criminal prosecutions were identified; 54 resulted in convictions (45 for serial murder).
Injection was the primary method used, followed by suffocation and poisoning.
Nursing personnel constituted 86% of prosecuted healthcare providers; 40% of cases were in the United States.

Conclusions:

Convicted caregivers were linked to 317 patient deaths and 2113 suspicious deaths, indicating a significant public health concern.
Systemic changes are urgently needed for tracking adverse patient incidents and reforming hiring practices to prioritize patient safety over litigation prevention.