Oct 28, 2014
Doug Olsen discusses how military
nurses at Guantanamo Bay face conflicting ethical imperatives and
potential real world consequences over force-feeding Guantánamo Bay
detainees. Military nurses are bound by the Oath of Commissioned
Officers to protect their country and not simply to follow
orders—in this way, their oath differs from the one taken by
enlisted personnel. While officers are legally bound by the Uniform
Code of Military Justice to follow orders, they are also expected
to use sound judgment in assessing them—and to sometimes refuse
those that are not in the best interests of the country, even if
doing so means they will be held morally and legally responsible
for the exceptional act of refusal. In some situations, the moral
expectation to assess orders can present a conflict of fundamental
values with a high potential for moral distress for the nurses
involved.