Physician-Assisted Suicide: Views of Swiss Health Care Professionals

Pfister, Eliane; Biller‐Andorno, Nikola

doi:10.1007/s11673-010-9246-2

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…A significant factor arising from the current review was that terminal illness (Pfister & Biller-Andorno, 2010) with extreme uncontrollable pain and other distress (Inghelbrecht et al., 2009a) motivated nurses to support and/or accept euthanasia. It was essential to assuage physical as well as nonphysical suffering and accepted by nurses for the control of refractory suffering in patients at the very end of life (Gielen et al., 2012).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A Greek study reported that about 47% of physicians, 45.2% of nurses, 49.1% of relatives, and 52% of laypeople approved the legalization of the assisted dying process (Tepehan et al., 2009). The highest levels of support for euthanasia were found in countries such as Belgium (Inghelbrecht et al., 2009a) and Switzerland (Pfister & Biller-Andorno, 2010). However, there were differences reported in the attitudes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nurses’ Perceptions and Attitudes About Euthanasia: A Scoping Review

2020

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Aim Nurses have a critical role in providing holistic care for people with life-limiting conditions. However, they experience internal moral conflict and powerlessness when patients request them to assist in the dying process. A scoping review was undertaken to determine what is known about nurses’ perceptions and attitudes of euthanasia. Review Methods: Several databases were searched that yielded both qualitative and quantitative primary peer-reviewed research studies that focused on nurses, their perceptions and attitudes about euthanasia. Descriptive and explorative analyses of the data set from the research studies were undertaken. Results: A total of 23 studies were included in the review. Opinions about euthanasia were mixed. Two key concepts emerged from the review: some nurses were positive and/or supportive of euthanasia, while some were negative and/or unsupportive of euthanasia. The main factors associated with being positive and/or supportive were because of (a) extreme uncontrollable pain, unbearable suffering, or other distressing experiences of the patient, (b) legality of euthanasia, and (c) right of the patient to die. The factors that determined nurses’ negative and/or unsupportive attitude included (a) religion, (b) moral/ethical dilemmas, (c) role of gender of the health professional, and, (d) poor palliative care. Conclusions: The matter of euthanasia has challenged nurses considerably in their aim to deliver holistic care. There were several crucial factors influencing nurses’ perceptions and attitudes, and these were affected by their personal, professional and transpersonal perspectives. The potential implications to nurses relate to education, practice, and research. Nurses need to be informed of existing legislation and provided in-depth education and professional guidelines to help direct action. Further research is needed to explore the impact on nurses’ emotional well-being, clarify their role/s and determine the support they might require when involved with euthanasia.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nurses’ Perceptions and Attitudes About Euthanasia: A Scoping Review

2020

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Switzerland

Barazzetti¹,

Bondolfi²,

Hurst³

et al. 2013

Handbook of Global Bioethics

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Physician-Assisted Suicide

Boudreau

Somerville²,

Biller‐Andorno

2013

N Engl J Med

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Interactive at nejm.orgThis interactive feature addresses the approach to a clinical case. A case vignette is followed by specific options, neither of which can be considered correct or incorrect. In short essays, experts in the field then argue for each of the options. Readers can participate in forming community opinion by choosing one of the options and, if they like, providing their reasons. c a s e v igne t t eJohn Wallace is a 72-year-old man with metastatic pancreatic cancer. At time of diagnosis, the cancer was metastatic to his regional lymph nodes and liver. He was treated with palliative chemotherapy, but the disease continued to progress. Recently he has become jaundiced, and he has very little appetite. He has been seeing a palliative care physician and a social worker on an ongoing basis. His abdominal pain is now well controlled with high-dose narcotics, but the narcotics have caused constipation. In addition to seeing the social worker, he has also been seeing a psychologist to help him to cope with his illness.Mr. Wallace has been married to his wife, Joyce, for 51 years, and they have three children and six grandchildren. He and his wife have lived in Salem, Oregon, for the past 23 years, and most of his family lives nearby. He understands the prognosis of the disease, and he does not wish to spend his last days suffering or in an unresponsive state. He discusses his desire for euthanasia with his wife and family members, and they offer him their support. The next day, he calls his physician and asks for information about physician-assisted suicide.Do you believe that Mr. Wallace should be able to receive life-terminating drugs from his physician? Which one of the following approaches to the broader issue do you find appropriate? Base your choice on the published literature, your own experience, and other sources of information. Physician-assisted suicide should not be permitted. 2. Physician-assisted suicide should be permitted.We recognize that a patient in Mr. Wallace's situation is in a state of grief. We appreciate his desire to be of sound mind at the end of his life and not to have to suffer as death approaches. We also recognize the obligations of physicians to respect a patient's refusal of treatment, to relieve pain and suffering, and to provide palliative care. However, we believe that the art of healing should always remain at the core of medical practice, and the role of healer involves providing patients with hope and renewed aspirations, however tenuous and temporary. Within the realm of palliative care, there exists a well-recognized paradox that one can die healed. 1 Physicians have a duty to uphold the sacred healing space -not destroy it. Therefore, physicians must hear Mr. Wallace's request for death but never carry it out.Supporters of physician-assisted suicide justify their position by placing the value of individual autonomy above all other values and ethical considerations. Giving individual autonomy absolute priority runs roughshod over competing values, protections, an...

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Physician-Assisted Suicide: Views of Swiss Health Care Professionals

Cited by 6 publications

References 4 publications

Nurses’ Perceptions and Attitudes About Euthanasia: A Scoping Review

Nurses’ Perceptions and Attitudes About Euthanasia: A Scoping Review

Switzerland

Physician-Assisted Suicide

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