[Futile medical care and euthanasia in the opinion of professional nurses].
Futile medical care and euthanasia are hard to assess unequivocally and are becoming a frequent topic of social discussion. The problem requires both ethical and moral consideration as well as legal regulations. As a medical issue it has got both its supporters and opponents. The aim of the study was to evaluate of nurses' attitudes and knowledge concerning euthanasia and persistend therapy.


METHODS
The survey group included 183 nurses aged 30-58. The diagnostic method poll was applied, the technique used was a questionnaire.


RESULTS
Among the nurses participating in the survey, 83% is against providing futile medical care when it is known that it will not bring any effect, while increasing the suffering and prolonging dying. 45% of the respondents consider euthanasia unacceptable, 41% think that euthanasia could be performed in cases in which patient's suffering cannot be relieved. 49% of the surveyed think that euthanasia should remain strictly prohibited by the Polish law, while 31% think that Polish legal system should legalize euthanasia.


CONCLUSIONS
The nurses are aware that futile medical care for terminally ill and dying patients does not lead to successful treatment but instead it prolongs dying and suffering, at the same time resulting in extremely high financial costs. In most cases they are advocates of its discontinuing. The surveyed nurses differ in their approach towards euthanasia, some of them supporting the idea, the other--opposing it. Most of them express the opinion that euthanasia should be forbidden in the Polish law and their personal approach towards euthanasia is negative.
Agnieszka
A
Renn-Zurek
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018447:Medical Futility / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009729:Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence