Journal of medical ethics
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Journal of medical ethics · Dec 2007
French district nurses' opinions towards euthanasia, involvement in end-of-life care and nurse patient relationship: a national phone survey.
To assess French district nurses' opinions towards euthanasia and to study factors associated with these opinions, with emphasis on attitudes towards terminal patients. ⋯ French nurses are more in favour of legalising euthanasia than French physicians; these two populations contrast greatly in the factors associated with this support. Further research is needed to investigate how and to what extent such attitudes may affect nursing practice and emotional well-being in the specific context of end-of-life home care.
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The aim of this paper is to present and discuss nurses' and physicians' comments in a questionnaire relating to patients' transition from curative treatment to palliative care. The four-page questionnaire relating to experiences of and attitudes towards communication, decision-making, documentation and responsibility of nurses and physicians and towards the competence of patients was developed and sent to a random sample of 1672 nurses and physicians of 10 specialties. The response rate was 52% (n = 844), and over one-third made comments. ⋯ Many of the staff have not had adequate training in communicating with patients who are at the end of their life. Time for joint reflection has to be regained, and training in decision-making is essential. In our opinion, palliative care in Sweden is in need of improvement.