RT Journal Article
T1 The paradoxical position of nurses regarding euthanasia and its legalisation: A descriptive quantitative study
A1 Ortega Galán, Ángela María
A1 Ibáñez Masero, Olivia
A1 Fernández Martínez, Elia
A1 Ortiz Amo, Rocío
A1 Fernández Santos, Laura
A1 Ruiz Fernández, María Dolores
AB Aims and Objectives To learn about the attitudes of nurses working in the Andalusian Public Health System regarding euthanasia and its legalisation. Background Euthanasia often finds itself in the crosshairs of ethical and political debate on an international scale. Currently, the Spanish Organic Law 3/2021 of 24 March, 2021, recognises euthanasia as a fundamental right in Spain. It is of particular interest to know about the views, attitudes and stances that Andalusian nurses have of euthanasia as they are key players within the framework of euthanasia and administration of life‐ending drugs. They play a central role in guiding patients through the euthanasia application process. Design Observational descriptive study. Methods A study of Andalusian Public Health System nurses was carried out using non‐probability convenience sampling. 518 nurses with an average age of 44.75 years answered in a questionnaire that was distributed on an online platform. Socio‐demographic and occupational variables were assessed, together with the Death Anxiety Scale and the Euthanasia Attitude Scale. A bivariate analysis and a multivariate linear regression model were performed. The STROBE checklist was used. Results The mean score obtained on the Euthanasia Attitude Scale was 75.95 (SD = 16.53). The mean score obtained on the Death Anxiety Scale was 7.56 (SD = 3.05). The variables age and work experience were negatively correlated with the total scores of the Euthanasia Attitude Scale and the categories ‘Ethical considerations’, ‘Practical considerations’ and ‘Treasuring life’. On the other hand, there was a significant positive correlation between age and work experience and ‘Spiritual beliefs’ category. Conclusions The current situation shows a worrying paradox. There is a stark difference between positive professional attitudes towards euthanasia and the desire to participate in its application. Relevance to Clinical Practice It is vital that educational and healthcare institutions make the necessary efforts to ensure that nurses develop sound moral judgement, displaying the moral conscience and ethical commitment required of this established profession. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.
PB Wiley
SN 0962-1067
SN 1365-2702 (electrónico)
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/23289
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/23289
LA eng
NO Ortega‐Galán, Á. M., Ibáñez‐Masero, O., Fernández‐Martínez, E., Ortiz‐Amo, R., Fernández‐Santos, L., & Ruiz‐Fernández, M. D. (2023). The paradoxical position of nurses regarding euthanasia and its legalisation: A descriptive quantitative study. In Journal of Clinical Nursing (Vol. 32, Issues 23–24, pp. 8007–8016). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16869
NO This work was funded by the call for research project grants (modality A) of the University of Huelva [ID: 1076].
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 30 may 2026