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.     

Nursing involvement in euthanasia: how sound is the philosophical support?

Abstract  Preference utilitarians are concerned to maximize the autonomous choices of individuals; for this reason, they argue that nurses ought to advocate for those patients who desire assistance with ending their lives. This approach prompts us to consider, then, the moral validity of nursing involvement in measures intended to end the lives of patients. In this article, the terms of preference utilitarianism are set out and considered in order to determine whether this approach offers sufficient philosophical support for sanctioning a role for nursing in euthanasia. Ultimately, it is found that preference utilitarianism is lacking in this respect, as well as in its fitness for guiding nursing activity in general. In particular, it is found that nurses are required to exchange a handmaiden relationship with the medical profession for an equally undignified relationship with patients. If nursing involvement in measures intended to end the lives of patients is to find sufficient philosophical support, then we need to look elsewhere.     

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.     

Passive euthanasia in response to attempted suicide: one form of aggressiveness by relatives

A total of 88 interviews were conducted with 40 people attempting suicide who were receiving care in an intensive-care unit, and 129 interviews were carried out with their relatives and friends. The subjects were divided into 3 diagnostic groups: neurosis (n = 14), abuse (n = 19) and psychosis (n = 7). The incidence of relatives' failure to provide care after the suicide attempt--turning-away reactions as well as do not resuscitate orders, a form of passive euthanasia--was investigated. In 8 cases, partners of patients in the abuse and neurosis groups showed turning-away reactions. In 2 cases, relatives of elderly patients in the neurosis group said to the doctor that life-preserving measures should not be taken. Relatives explained their behaviour by saying that they had the best interests of the suicidal individual at heart. In-depth interviews, however, revealed that these reactions were a manifestation of the relatives own psychic conflicts, brought forth by the confrontation with the depressed and suicidal patient. Turning-away reactions and do not resuscitate orders might be interpreted as expressing the relatives' aggressiveness towards the suicidal individual and attempts to escape from a difficult situation. It is important that doctors stand up for the interests of suicidal people, which at times may conflict with relatives' interests, and help the relatives to sort out their problems and wishes with respect to the problem areas of passive euthanasia.     

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。     

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。     

Pentobarbital overdose: A case of contract killing

Suicides by pentobarbital overdose have increased since about 2012, which appear to be influenced by technical information on active euthanasia that has spread over the Internet. We encountered a pentobarbital poisoning case of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A caregiver found the patient unconscious immediately after two visitors left the room. The patient was immediately transferred to the emergency hospital but eventually declared dead. A fatal concentration of pentobarbital was detected in peripheral blood samples collected in the emergency hospital and during autopsy (53.8 μg/mL and 29.4 μg/mL, respectively). Because the ratios of pentobarbital concentrations between the gastric contents and peripheral blood were 35 and 29 in the hospital and autopsy samples, respectively, it is likely that pentobarbital was administered via the gastrostomy tube. The patient had contacted the visitors through social media. Although the patient had requested the doctor perform active euthanasia and expressed a desire to end their life on social media, nobody had noticed the plan to commit suicide.