Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: Knowledge, attitudes and experiences of nurses in Andalusia (Spain)

The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of Spanish nurses in relation to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. In an online questionnaire completed by 390 nurses from Andalusia, 59.1% adequately identified a euthanasia situation and 64.1% a situation involvin...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Tamayo-Velázquez, María-Isabel (Author) ; Simón-Lorda, Pablo (Author) ; Cruz-Piqueras, Maite (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage 2012
In: Nursing ethics
Year: 2012, Volume: 19, Issue: 5, Pages: 677-691
Further subjects:B End-of-life
B physician-assisted suicide
B Nurses
B Experiences
B Attitudes
B Euthanasia
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitudes and experiences of Spanish nurses in relation to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. In an online questionnaire completed by 390 nurses from Andalusia, 59.1% adequately identified a euthanasia situation and 64.1% a situation involving physician-assisted suicide. Around 69% were aware that both practices were illegal in Spain, while 21.4% had received requests for euthanasia and a further 7.8% for assisted suicide. A total of 22.6% believed that cases of euthanasia had occurred in Spain and 11.4% believed the same for assisted suicide. There was greater support (70%) for legalisation of euthanasia than for assisted suicide (65%), combined with a greater predisposition towards carrying out euthanasia (54%), if it were to be legalised, than participating in assisted suicide (47.3%). Nurses in Andalusia should be offered more education about issues pertaining to the end of life, and extensive research into this area should be undertaken.
ISSN:1477-0989
Contains:Enthalten in: Nursing ethics
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0969733011436203