title: Psychosocial determinants of nurses' intention to practise euthanasia in palliative care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most studies on euthanasia fail to explain the intentions of health professionals when faced with performing euthanasia and are atheoretical.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to identify the psychosocial determinants of nurses' intention to practise euthanasia in palliative care if it were legalised.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study using a validated anonymous questionnaire based on an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 445 nurses from the province of Quebec, Canada, was selected for participation in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 44.2% and the mean score for intention was 4.61 ± 1.90 (range: 1-7). The determinants of intention were the subjective (odds ratio = 3.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.50-6.35) and moral (odds ratio = 2.95; 95% confidence interval: 1.58-5.49) norms. Specific beliefs which could discriminate nurses according to their level of intention were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, nurses have a slightly positive intention to practise euthanasia. Their family approval seems particularly important and also the approval of their medical colleagues. Nurses' moral norm was related to beneficence, an ethical principle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify nurses' motivations to practise euthanasia in palliative care using a validated psychosocial theory. It also has the distinction of identifying the ethical principles underlying nurses' moral norm and intention.
authors.affiliation: Laval University, Canada; Research Centre of the University Hospital of Québec, Canada mireille.lavoie@fsi.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Mireille
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lavoie
authors.affiliation: Laval University, Canada; Research Centre of the University Hospital of Québec, CanadaLaval University, CanadaMaison Michel-Sarrazin, CanadaHospital Child Jésus, Canada.
authors.forename: Gaston
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Godin
authors.affiliation: Laval University, Canada; Research Centre of the University Hospital of Québec, CanadaLaval University, CanadaMaison Michel-Sarrazin, CanadaHospital Child Jésus, Canada.
authors.forename: Lydi-Anne
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Vézina-Im
authors.affiliation: Laval University, Canada.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blondeau
authors.affiliation: Maison Michel-Sarrazin, Canada.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martineau
authors.affiliation: Hospital Child Jésus, Canada.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D064946:Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011792:Quebec; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Determinant; euthanasia; intention; nurse; palliative care