Dutch nurses' attitudes towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Nursing Practice
• End-of-Life Care

Background:

• Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (EAS) are sensitive end-of-life care issues.
• The role of nurses in these practices is a subject of ongoing ethical and professional debate.
• Understanding nurses' attitudes is crucial for developing appropriate policies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the attitudes of Dutch nurses regarding their involvement in euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
• To assess nurses' willingness to serve on review committees, be consulted in decision-making, and perform specific EAS-related tasks.
• To inform policy development concerning the nursing role in EAS.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was administered to 1509 nurses across various healthcare settings in the Netherlands.
• Data collection occurred between January 2001 and August 2004.
• Statistical analysis of nurses' responses to questions about their role in EAS.

Main Results:

• Only 45% of nurses would serve on EAS review committees.
• 58.2% of nurses felt it was excessive to require physicians to consult nurses in EAS decision-making.
• A majority of nurses (62.9% for preparing drugs, 54.1% for administering them) do not consider these tasks acceptable nursing duties.

Conclusions:

• A significant portion of Dutch nurses are reluctant to engage in direct or indirect roles concerning euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide.
• The findings suggest that current nursing practices and sentiments do not support expanding nurses' responsibilities in EAS.
• It is recommended that new regulations do not include nurses in EAS review committees, decision-making consultations, or direct procedural involvement.