This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by van de Scheur, A. Articles by van der Arend, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by van de Scheur, A. Articles by van der Arend, A. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Role of Nurses in Euthanasia: a Dutch study

Rotterdam Institution for Home Care, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Arie van der Arend

University of Maastricht Faculty of Health Sciences, Maastricht, The Netherlands

What role do nurses play in euthanasia? How do they experience this role and what should be their ideal role? These are the questions of a study undertaken to gain insight into the role of nurses in euthanasia. Answers to these questions were derived from 20 semistructured in-depth interviews with nurses employed in a Dutch hospital. To make clear the role of nurses in euthanasia, the issue was split up into four phases: observation of a request for euthanasia; decision making; carrying out of the request; and after-care. This article is a brief report on the most important results regarding these four phases. Special attention will be paid to nurses who have conscientious objections. To evaluate the study results, an unambiguous interpretation of the concept of ‘euthanasia’ is of most importance. For that reason, Dutch laws and other regulations concerning euthanasia will be explained.

Key Words: euthanasia • Netherlands • nursing ethics • nursing research • qualitative research

Nursing Ethics, Vol. 5, No. 6, 497-508 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/096973309800500604


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M K Bendiane, A-D Bouhnik, A Galinier, R Favre, Y Obadia, and P Peretti-Watel French hospital nurses' opinion about euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: a national phone survey J. Med. Ethics, April 1, 2009; 35(4): 238 - 244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. van Bruchem-van de Scheur, A. van der Arend, F. van Wijmen, H. H. Abu-Saad, and R. ter Meulen Dutch Nurses' Attitudes Towards Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Nursing Ethics, March 1, 2008; 15(2): 186 - 198. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Bendiane, A Galinier, R Favre, C Ribiere, J-M Lapiana, Y Obadia, and P Peretti-Watel French district nurses' opinions towards euthanasia, involvement in end-of-life care and nurse patient relationship: a national phone survey J. Med. Ethics, December 1, 2007; 33(12): 708 - 711. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Parpa, K. Mystakidou, E. Tsilika, P. Sakkas, E. Patiraki, K. Pistevou-Gombaki, A. Galanos, and L. Vlahos The Attitudes of Greek Physicians and Lay People on Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, August 1, 2006; 23(4): 297 - 303. [Abstract] [PDF]

				B Dierckx de Casterle, C Verpoort, N De Bal, and C Gastmans Nurses' views on their involvement in euthanasia: a qualitative study in Flanders (Belgium). J. Med. Ethics, April 1, 2006; 32(4): 187 - 192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T De Beer, C Gastmans, and B Dierckx de Casterle Involvement of nurses in euthanasia: a review of the literature J. Med. Ethics, October 1, 2004; 30(5): 494 - 498. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C Corley Nurse Moral Distress: a proposed theory and research agenda Nursing Ethics, November 1, 2002; 9(6): 636 - 650. [Abstract] [PDF]