Attitudes Toward Euthanasia Among Polish Physicians, Nurses and People Who Have No Professional Experience with the Terminally Ill

2013

Euthanasia is an issue that generates an extensive social debate. Euthanasia is generally classified as either active or passive. The former is usually defined as taking specific steps to cause the patient’s death, while the latter is described as withdrawal of medical treatment with the deliberate intention of bringing the patient’s life to an end. The dispute on euthanasia involves a multitude of aspects including religious, legal, cultural, ethical, medical, and spiritual issues. The purpose of the present study was to examine the views of medical professionals toward the highly controversial issue of euthanasia. Accordingly, the research has been conducted among a group of Polish nurses…