title: An investigation into the attitude of professional nurses towards euthanasia.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to identify professional nurses attitudes towards euthanasia. A descriptive study of the attitudes of professional nurses towards euthanasia was undertaken. The data collecting instrument was a questionnaire, which was self-administered to 26 professional nurses working in different wards. The majority of professional nurses were against euthanasia in hospitals. It was also evident that professional nurses need to be involved in decision making on euthanasia. Though professional nurses revealed negative attitudes towards euthanasia, there are situations in which they felt passive euthanasia was necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Zululand.
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kunene
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Zungu
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005065:Euthanasia; D028601:Euthanasia, Active; D005066:Euthanasia, Passive; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008020:Life Support Care; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D028761:Withholding Treatment