title: Morphine prescription in end-of-life care and euthanasia: French home nurses' opinions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate factors that might lead French homecare nurses to consider the prescription of high-dose morphine to terminally ill patients to be euthanasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The researchers conducted an anonymous telephone survey among a random sample of 602 French homecare nurses (response rate = 75 percent) in 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 27 percent of responding home nurses considered prescribing high-dose morphine to terminally ill patients to be euthanasia. Such an opinion was more frequently held by older nurses, those who had not followed terminally ill patients during the previous three years, and those with less knowledge about pain management involving opioid analgesics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an urgent need to strengthen pain management education among French homecare nurses--especially regarding the use of morphine--in order to both improve their technical skills and correct some misconceptions about opioid analgesics.
authors: Southeastern Health Regional Observatory, (ORS-PACA), Marseilles, France.
authors: Marc Karim
authors: MK
authors: Bendiane
authors: Anne-Deborah
authors: AD
authors: Bouhnik
authors: Roger
authors: R
authors: Favre
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Galinier
authors: Yolande
authors: Y
authors: Obadia
authors: Jean-Paul
authors: JP
authors: Moatti
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Peretti-Watel
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000193:education*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000941:ethics*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine