Young A, Volker D, Rieger P T, Thorpe D M
College of Nursing, Houston Center of Texas Woman's University.
Oncol Nurs Forum. 1993 Apr;20(3):445-51.
Euthanasia and "voluntary dying" are among the most controversial issues involved in cancer care. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore oncology nurses' attitudes about physician-assisted death (PAD) for competent, terminally ill adults who request this assistance. Questionnaires were sent to 2,000 randomly selected members of the Oncology Nursing Society. The questionnaires included demographic questions, four vignettes describing patient care situations and possible responses based on beliefs about PAD, and questions that explored awareness of organizations and legislation that promote legalization of PAD. The response rate was 61% (1,210). Findings indicate that oncology nurses hold diverse views regarding the acceptability of PAD. Although many nurses favored PAD, they also expressed a reluctance to administer the medication that would cause death. Given that PAD is an ethical and legal issue in the United States for terminally ill patients, nurses are encouraged to become informed about the concept of PAD and be prepared to actively respond to the policy-making ramifications of the assisted-death movement.
安乐死和“自愿死亡”是癌症护理中最具争议性的问题之一。这项描述性研究的目的是探讨肿瘤护理护士对于为有行为能力的晚期成年患者提供医生协助死亡（PAD）的态度，这些患者请求这种协助。问卷被发送给随机挑选的2000名肿瘤护理学会成员。问卷包括人口统计学问题、四个描述患者护理情况的 vignette 以及基于对 PAD 的信念可能做出的反应，还有一些探讨对促进 PAD 合法化的组织和立法的认知的问题。回复率为61%（1210人）。研究结果表明，肿瘤护理护士对于 PAD 的可接受性持有不同观点。虽然许多护士支持 PAD，但他们也表示不愿意给予导致死亡的药物。鉴于在美国对于晚期患者来说，PAD 是一个伦理和法律问题，鼓励护士了解 PAD 的概念，并准备好积极应对协助死亡运动的政策影响。
