Social work in health care
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Soc Work Health Care · Jan 1999
Hospital social workers' attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are the subjects of increasing controversy in the health care setting. In this study of 122 hospital social workers' attitudes toward euthanasia and assisted suicide, many respondents reported agreement that both practices may be ethical, should be legal in some situations, and that they would be willing to participate in the practices. ⋯ Preparation for requests to discuss these practices, through awareness of their own beliefs and attitudes and becoming knowledgeable about current controversies, policies, and practices, is essential. By doing so, social workers will be ready to seize the opportunity to emerge as leaders of multidisciplinary discussion of complex ethical issues in health care.