5 Involvement in gross human rights violations A significant number [21%] of the sample knew of health professionals who had participated in torture, but this may reflect knowledge of some of the more notorious and public cases rather than direct personal experience. A majority [83%] felt that any such behaviour should be professionally censured, whilst a number [16%] felt that there some grounds for falsifying medical certificates or autopsy reports. Clearly, it will be important for the future to discover, in respect of the latter, what such grounds might be for nurses. Preventing and reporting on torture and rape A majority felt that nurses had an ethical duty to prevent torture and rape, but seemed clear that this should take place with the established channels. A very small number felt that recourse should be made to the press. Ethical duty to prevent torture & rape 80% Table 6. Informing the media about torture 22% Informing the media about rape 20% A majority [74%] felt that victims should receive special treatment, but only half felt that victims should have a choice either of their own carer, or women a choice of women examiners. On the other hand, a large majority felt that examinations should take place in the presence of the police. Level of care for victims 26% Table 7. Choice of carer Presence of Police during examination 51% 13% Female examiners 57% Only half of the sample felt that dealing with torture victims should be part of the nurse’s role, but, equally, the majority [89%] had had no training. A majority felt that formal training in clinical forensic nursing would be useful. Role of nurses to include examining & treating torture 57% Table 8. Have you had training in examining & treating torture 11% Formal training in forensic nursing 80% Conclusions: This little survey indicated overall that there is a need for more specific education in human rights and ethics for nurses. Although nurses generally have a good grasp of the international standards governing nursing practice - 90% felt that there were at least some universal human rights - but the numbers who knew either the international or local routes for dealing with human rights violations was highly variable. A majority felt that non-adherence to medical ethics negatively affected nurse-patient relationships. Half of the sample felt that they would not examine a victim of torture in their clinic, but the reasons for not doing so were contradictory. 18% felt that they did not deal with medico-legal Amani Trust Knowledge, attitudes and experiences of nurses on human rights, their violations and medical ethics in Zimbabwe.