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Alleviation of pain and symptoms with a life-shortening intention.
- Source :
-
Nursing ethics [Nurs Ethics] 2008 Sep; Vol. 15 (5), pp. 682-95. - Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- This article reports the findings of a study into the role of Dutch nurses in the alleviation of pain and symptoms with a life-shortening intention, conducted as part of a study into the role of nurses in medical end-of-life decisions. A questionnaire survey was carried out using a population of 1509 nurses who were employed in hospitals, home care organizations and nursing homes. The response rate was 82.0%; 78.1% (1179) were suitable for analysis. The results show that in about half of the cases (55.8%) nurses were involved in the decision making by the physician and that nurses were frequently (81.5%) involved in administering the medication. The authors' conclusion is that alleviation of pain and symptoms with a life-shortening intention represents a ;grey' area, in which physicians and nurses act on the basis of personal ethical norms rather than legal rules, professional guidelines or shared moral values.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0969-7330
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nursing ethics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 18687821
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733008092876