The diverse faces of nursing during National Socialism (1933-1945): a narrative review

In a certain period in the history of nursing, the care and attention characteristic of the profession coexisted with the ignorance and cruelty of a society corrupted by tragedy and hatred towards the human being. Objective: to make known the role of the supporters of the Nazi party as nurses of the Allied side and of the resistance during National Socialism in Europe and expose the differences between the care they provided. Methodology: narrative review developed through the bibliographic search of books and articles in various databases, selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: the nursing care of the time was strongly differentiated between two sides, where empathy and affection were replaced by abuse and barbarism. In addition, a type of nursing has been discovered which was forced to help the National Socialist regime against its will. Conclusion: the actions of those nurses who worked during the time of Nazism have been reflected, for the current nursing can know what happened in the past to learn and improve for the future.