Nurse manslaughter case goes to trial

The case against an Icelandic nurse and the National University Hospital charged with manslaughter has gone to court. 

The incident, a mistake regarding a respirator, occurred in 2012 which led to the death of a patient. This is the first manslaughter charge against a nurse in Iceland although there are cases of damages being or fines,  and it has raised a lot of questions within the Icelandic medical community. Earlier this year, Mbl.is reported that fewer nurses would take on double shifts at the ER after charges were pressed in this case.

At the Reykjavik District Court this morning, the nurse explained that on the shift in which the tragedy occurred she was extremely overworked. She added that the last three years of her life had been "hell on earth," with her marriage collapsing and her child encountering difficulties. "I've often wanted to die because of this matter," she said at court, mbl.is reports.