Nursing Students' Attitudes Towards Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia

In 1991/92, 289 students from four different schools of nursing in Norway participated in a case-related attitudes test. The nursing students answered questions concerning their personal views on the moral and legal implications of either assisting suicide or performing euthanasia. They also indicated whether they thermselves were willing to perform these acts. The results were compared with responses from a study on students from other faculties in 1988. The findings suggested that nursing students were significantly (p < 0.0005) more restrictive than the other students in their attitudes towards voluntary active euthanasia (VAE). Factors that influenced the nursing students' attitudes towards VAE were measured by the index of VAE. Religious belief (p < 0.0001), conservative political view (p < 0.01), and the perception of life as meaningful (p < 0.02) were the best predictors of the dependent variable.     

The role of the nurse in active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide

The researchers wanted to obtain insight into the cooperation between physicians and nurses with regard to active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EAS). In study I a stratified random sample of 203 clinical specialists, 152 general practitioners (GPs) and 50 nursing home physicians (NHPs) participated. In study II a random sample of 521 GPs was drawn from the province of North Holland and a random sample of 521 GPs was drawn from the rest of the Netherlands. For study III all NHPs were approached. Data were collected by means of an interview in study I. In studies II and III an anonymous, postal questionnaire was used. Approximately half of the GPs did not consult with nurses about a patient's request for EAS, the intention to administer EAS, and the actual administration. In 5% of cases, the NHPs and the specialists did not consult with nurses concerning these aspects. The GPs and NHPs indicated in 4% and 3% of the cases, respectively, that nurses administered the lethal drug(s) to the patients; the corresponding figure for the specialists was 21%. Almost all GPs and NHPs and about three-quarters of the specialists thought that nurses should never be allowed to administer EAS.     

Students' acceptance of clinical xenotransplantation

The aim of this study was to elucidate undergraduate university students' views on clinical xenotransplantation. A total of 1875 students from eight faculties at Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences answered a questionnaire. Three out of four respondents would be prepared to receive a transplant from an animal on medical grounds if necessary. Forty percent had signed an organ donation card. There was no difference in attitude between those who had signed an allotransplantion card and those who had not. According to gender, age, length of university program, and faculty, results showed that a higher proportion of those who approved were male, young, and studying on programs longer than three years; also, they were more likely to study programs in the Faculties of Agriculture and Pharmacy. At the Medical Faculty, nursing students seemed to be less approving, compared to future biomedical analysts, biomedical scientists, and physicians. The acceptance of xenotransplantation also tended to be positively associated with morally accepting and understanding the use of animals in biomedical research, the approval of euthanasia, the approval of early abortion, and the use of human fetuses in research, as well as clinical testing of humans.     

Euthanasia, Physician Assisted Suicide and Other Methods of Helping Along Death

This paper introduces a series of papers dealing with the topic of euthanasia as an introduction to a variety of attitudes by health-care professionals and philosophers interested in this issue. The lead in paper--and really the lead in idea--stresses the fact that what we are discussing concerns only a minority of people lucky enough to live in conditions of acceptable sanitation and who have access to medical care. The topic of euthanasia and PAS really has three questions: (1) is killing another ever ethically acceptable; (2) is the participation of health professionals ethically different and (3) is it wiser to permit and set criteria (being fully aware of some dangers that lurk in such a move) or to forbid (knowing that it will occur clandestinely and uncontrolled). This paper takes no definite stand although it is very troubled by useless suffering (not only pain) by many who would wish their life and with it their suffering ended.     

中国安乐死实施的不可行性分析

目前，国内外关于安乐死立法的呼声日益高涨。但是，从我国的国情、立法环境和文化风俗来看，安乐死尚不具备实施的可行性。从社会宏观角度看，由于受传统伦理道德和价值观念的束缚，民众观念需要转变。同时，由于对生命权也未作规定。政治经济等各方面原因，医疗科研水平存在局限，我国对安乐死基本问题和判断标准无法达成一致。从微观角度来看，安乐死行为涉及患者、医务人员、患者家属和医疗机构四方利益，实施安乐死存在安全隐患。本丈将从这两个方面分析我国实施安乐死的现实可行性，论证目前在我国实施安乐死的条件和时机还不成熟。     

从滑坡现象和风险社会理论看安乐死

“安乐死”问题一直是一个极具争论的议题，赞成者和反对者各持一方，近年来，国内赞成安乐死的呼声越来越高，笔者从风险社会理论角度出发，对比分析荷兰安乐死立法的社会背景和实践中的滑坡现象。认为像我们这样有着深厚传统文化，卫生资源相对贫乏，医疗保障水平低，法制还不十分健全的国家，在目前社会条件下，对安乐死的问题应审慎。     

Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the Dutch homecare sector: the role of the district nurse

AIM: This paper is a report of the findings of a study into the role of district nurses in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in homecare organizations, conducted as part of a study into the role of nurses in medical end-of-life decisions. BACKGROUND: Issues concerning legislation and regulation with respect to the role of nurses in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide gave the Minister for Health reason to commission a study into the role of nurses in medical end-of-life decisions in hospitals, nursing homes and homecare organizations. This is the first quantitative study from the perspective of nurses. Previous quantitative studies were conducted under physicians and information on the role of nurses was obtained indirectly. METHOD: A questionnaire was sent in 2003 to 500 district nurses employed in 55 homecare organizations. The absolute response rate was 86.0% and 81.6% (408) could be used for analysis. RESULTS: In 22.3% of 278 cases, the district nurse was the first with whom patients discussed their request for euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide. In about half (49.8%) of 267 cases nurses were not involved in the general practitioner's decision-making process, and in only 13.3% of 264 cases, did they attend the administration of the lethal drugs. District nurses had provided some degree of aftercare to the surviving relatives in 80.3% of 264 cases. CONCLUSION: Collaboration between general practitioners and district nurses needs improvement, particularly in relation to decision-making. Our Dutch data could help nurses in other countries to define their (future) role in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.     

Changes in Medical Students’ Attitudes Towards End-of-Life Decisions Across Different Years of Medical Training

BACKGROUND  Decisions to forgo life-sustaining medical treatments in terminally ill patients are challenging, but ones that all doctors must face. Few studies have evaluated the impact of medical training on medical students’ attitudes towards end-of-life decisions and none have compared them with an age-matched group of non-medical students. OBJECTIVE  To assess the effect of medical education on medical students’ attitudes towards end-of-life decisions in acutely ill patients. DESIGN  Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS  Four hundred and two students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. MEASUREMENTS  Completion of a questionnaire focused on end-of-life decisions. MAIN RESULTS  The number of students who felt that cardiopulmonary resuscitation must always be provided was higher in non-medical students (76/90 (84%)) and medical students with less training (67/84 (80%) in year 1 vs. 18/67 (27%) in year 5) (p < 0.001). Discontinuing life-support therapy was more accepted among senior medical students compared to junior medical and non-medical students (27/66 (41%) in year 5 vs. 18/83 (22%) in year 1 and 20/90 (22%) in non-medical students) (p = 0.003). An unexpectedly large proportion of non-medical students (57/89 (64%)) and year 1 medical students (42/84 (50%)) found it acceptable to administer fatal doses of drugs to patients with limited prognosis. Euthanasia was less accepted with more years of training (p < 0.001). When making decisions regarding limitation of life-support therapy, students chose to involve patients (98%), doctors (92%) and families (73%) but few chose to involve nurses (38%). CONCLUSIONS  Medical students’ attitudes towards end-of-life decisions changed during medical training and differed significantly from those of non-medical students.     

中国传统死亡观与安乐死

安乐死的本质含义应该是重病患者在不同逆地趋向死亡的过程中,无论在肉体状态还是精神状态下,都能安乐地去死,医学手段只能使人的肉体由痛苦状态转向安乐状态,而社会科学可使人的精神由痛苦状态转向发乐状态。文章从死亡是人生的自然归宿、是一种心理巩具、死亡是对现实 痛苦解脱三个方面探讨了中国传统死亡观对安乐死被认同和实施 的重大影响,以引起人们对此 关注。