title: Nursing staff and euthanasia in the Netherlands. A nation-wide survey on attitudes and involvement in decision making and the performance of euthanasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To give insight into Dutch nursing staff's attitudes and involvement regarding euthanasia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was recruited from a nation-wide existent research panel of registered nurses and certified nursing assistants. Descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  587 respondents (response of 65%) completed the questionnaire. The majority (83%) state that physicians have to discuss the decision about euthanasia with the nurses involved. Besides, 69% state that a physician should discuss a euthanasia request with nurses who have regular contact with a patient. Nursing staff who have religious or other beliefs that they consider important for their attitude towards end-of-life decisions, and staff working in a hospital or home care, are most likely to have this opinion. Being present during the euthanasia is quite unusual: only a small group (7%) report that this has ever been the case in their entire working life. Seven% (incorrectly) think they are allowed to administer the lethal drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority want to be involved in decision-making processes about euthanasia. Not all are aware that they are not legally allowed to administer the lethal drugs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing staff should be informed of relevant existing legislation and professional guidelines.
authors.affiliation: NIVEL-Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Expertise Center for Palliative Care Amsterdam, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.francke@nivel.nl.
authors.forename: Anneke L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Francke
authors.affiliation: Federation Palliative Care Flanders, Vilvoorde, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gwenda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.affiliation: Mental Health and Wellbeing Research Group, Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bilsen
authors.affiliation: NIVEL-Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.deveer@nivel.nl.
authors.forename: Anke J E
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Veer
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Expertise Center for Palliative Care Amsterdam, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bregje D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Onwuteaka-Philipsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D028601:Euthanasia, Active / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013727:Terminal Care
keywords: Decisions; Euthanasia; Nursing; Palliative care