• B Ferrell, R Virani, M Grant, P Coyne, and G Uman.
• City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA. bferrell@coh.org
• Oncol Nurs Forum. 2000 Apr 1; 27 (3): 445-55.

Purpose/ObjectivesTo describe nurses' views of care of the terminally ill.DesignDescriptive cross-sectional survey.Sample300 nurses who completed a survey published in Nursing98 and Nursing Management and 2,033 nurses randomly selected from the Oncology Nursing Society (N = 2,333).MethodsMailed end-of-life (EOL) care survey.Main Research VariablesDilemmas, barriers, and effectiveness of EOL care and education and attitudes regarding assisted suicide and euthanasia.FindingsEOL care dilemmas are common in nursing practice, and many barriers exist to providing quality EOL care. Issues of euthanasia and assisted suicide are particularly significant to nurses who struggle to provide pain and symptom relief amid a system characterized by deficiencies in EOL care.ConclusionsImproved care is contingent on adequate education of nurses as the primary caregivers of patients and families who are facing the end of life. Study findings provide direction for improved care of the terminally ill.Implications For Nursing PracticeOncology nurses are centrally involved in care of the terminally ill. Major reform is needed to provide quality EOL care.

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