Nurses’ Attitudes towards Euthanasia In Conflict With Professional Ethical Guidelines

Nurses’ Attitudes towards Euthanasia In Conflict With Professional Ethical Guidelines

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Nurses’ Attitudes towards Euthanasia In Conflict With Professional Ethical Guidelines

Background

The concept of euthanasia has been an issue in the contemporary society affecting a large number of people, particularly in the healthcare sector. The article, Nurses’ Attitudes towards Euthanasia In Conflict With Professional Ethical Guidelines, seeks to accentuate the positions that nurses’ attitudes and opinions regarding mercy killing have been ignored leading to a range of issues (Terkamo-Moisio et al., 2017). The authors begin by defining euthanasia as the process through which a person’s life may be terminated at their request or that of their family members. Different countries have posed various ideas, positions, and arguments regarding the pursuit of assisted death. Although the achievement of aided suicide is emphasized by the role of the family and the patient, nurses play a significant part in completing the process (Parpa et al., 2010). Despite the important nature of the attendants’ involvement in the procedure, the authors identify that the attitudes and arguments conveyed by the professionals are limited due to gaps in research and supporting literature. Nurse attitudes towards euthanasia are essential as they determine their approach towards its pursuit. Such under-presentation has ignored the ethical position that nurses use to view the concept. As such, the purpose of the article is to determine the attitudes that various nurses possess towards euthanasia, particularly in Finland.

Methodology

            The authors carried out a web-based cross-sectional survey to determine the attitudes of nurses regarding euthanasia. A web-based cross-sectional study is a form of assessment that seeks to analyze data from a specific population at a particular time. The research also included an electronic questionnaire comprised of demographic features, work-related characteristics, attitudes towards assisted suicide and the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) (Terkamo-Moisio et al., 2017). Among the factors that were included in the demographic section comprised age, gender, and marital status. Work-related features based on the nature of experience, expertise in pain management as well as assisted death, were measured with a four-step scale. The authors also used a five-point Likert-type scale to evaluate their agreement with statements issued by nurses regarding the issue. Additionally, the researchers verified the reliability and repeatability of the questionnaire using a test-retest study conducted with 19 respondents. Data collection was done on online platforms with analysis being competed using SPSS 21 for Windows. The principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal rotation (varimax) were also used to generate euthanasia attitudes that appeared in thirteen statements (Terkamo-Moisio et al., 2017). Lastly, Cronbach’s Alpha was used to verify the reliability of the questionnaire, while the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test evaluated the nature of the dependent variable.

Results

            The results indicated that 74.3 percent of the 1003 participants in the study would approve assisted suicide and propel its implementation in the Finnish healthcare system. A majority of the nurses, who constituted 89.9 percent of the sample segment, identified that a patient should be given the right to pursue the alternative with their decision being supported by family members. Consequently, 61.8 percent of the population concurred that Finland had a high probability of benefiting from the pursuit of a law permitting euthanasia (Terkamo-Moisio et al., 2017). 22.6 percent doubted that they would make a recommendation for euthanasia. The research population consisted of people who have an average work experience of between zero and fifty-two years. The findings also revealed that most of the studied individuals were experienced in pain management as well as assisted suicide. Irrespective of the support for mercy killing, widow and widower nurses showed the least affinity towards the implementation of the procedure. Nonetheless, the results are essential in the actualization of the goals of euthanasia and are likely to display the stances and attitudes of different nurses.

Ethical Considerations

            Ethical consideration is essential in any nursing research process. Ethics assists nurses in distinguishing between right and wrong. One of the concerns included in the study was the nurse’s role in the perpetuation and actualization of euthanasia among patients. The authors identify that nursing attitudes envision their ethical inclinations and are necessary for delivering competent and informed decisions. While seeking to achieve patient health and well-being, nurses are required to pursue ethics through respecting patient autonomy (Gielen, Van den Branden, & Broeckaert, 2009). Even though the observation of the patient’s right to independent decision-making may contradict various arguments posited by the social and religious community, nurses’ attitudes determine their inclination to the quality of life and the protection of human life and rights. The article also considers some inconsistencies issued in previous literature such as the lack of a precise clarification of the meaning of euthanasia.

The authors identify a plethora of ethical issues related to the study such as the acquisition of usability rights for the CRS and anonymity of the participants. Such an approach is essential as it ensures that the welfare of the sample is safeguarded from any risk. The survey’s inscrutability increased the participants’ ability to issue authentic information that would support credible and reliable results for analysis (Gielen, Van den Branden, & Broeckaert, 2009). The article deviates from any form of ambiguity by ensuring that the concept of euthanasia is described in detail. The limitation section of the study details several challenges that may limit the results and overall interpretation. For instance, the test-retest scores below 0.5 may restrict the dependability of the questionnaire.

Uses in Practice

            The findings of the study are highly beneficial and usable in the nursing discipline. One of the significant uses of the results is the implication to nursing education. Different practitioners possess diverse attitudes and arguments regarding assisted suicide. It is essential to ensure that the nurse’s viewpoints stem from an informed conscience rather than societal conformity. Through nursing education, practitioners can understand the reasons why various patients pursue assisted death and correlate them with the ethical issues surrounding the practice such as the duty to protect life (Parpa et al., 2010). The information presented in the article will also ensure that nurse attitudes are exemplified and considered necessary in the pursuit for assisted suicide despite the array of positions that encompass the preservation of life in nursing practice and the legal regime. Additionally, the information is fundamental in supporting future research studies such as possible analytical approaches that may be taken to identify possible outcomes. The outcomes of the survey will spearhead the evaluation of aggregate factors that influence nurse attitudes towards euthanasia such as the death of family or friends with chronic diseases.

Conclusion

            Terkamo-Moisio et al., (2017) relays a significant issue regarding the under-representation of nurses’ attitudes regarding euthanasia. Euthanasia is described as the termination of a patient’s life at their behest or that of the family. Countries possess wide-ranging arguments regarding euthanasia that are likely to affect its implementation. The study concentrates on the development of nurse attitudes and opinions regarding euthanasia making distinct relations with demographics and work-related factors. Additionally, the study promotes a further understanding of the reasons that influence patients to engage in assisted suicide within the healthcare sector. Lastly, the research conforms to the ethical requirements of any study within the nursing field and may be used to guide future studies.

References

Gielen, J., Van den Branden, S., & Broeckaert, B. (2009). Religion and nurses’ attitudes to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Nursing Ethics, 16(3), 303-318.

Parpa, E., Mystakidou, K., Tsilika, E., Sakkas, P., Patiraki, E., Pistevou-Gombaki, K., & Gouliamos, A. (2010). Attitudes of healthcare professionals, relatives of advanced cancer patients and public towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. Health Policy, 97(2-3), 160-165.

Terkamo-Moisio, A., Kvist, T., Kangasniemi, M., Laitila, T., Ryynänen, O. P., & Pietilä, A. M. (2017). Nurses’ attitudes towards euthanasia in conflict with professional ethical guidelines. Nursing Ethics, 24(1), 70-86.