Nursing students' attitude toward euthanasia following its legalization in Spain
Arreciado Marañón, Antonia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Infermeria)
García-Sierra, Rosa (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Infermeria)
Busquet-Duran, Xavier (Institut Català de la Salut)
Tort-Nasarre, Glòria (Institut Català de la Salut)
Feijoo Cid, Maria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Infermeria)

Data:	2025
Resum:	Background: Euthanasia is a controversial practice in many countries. Since Spain's Euthanasia Law came into effect on March 24, 2021, healthcare providers have faced a new challenge since they must inform patients, provide care, accompany them, and implement the law. It also represents a new stumbling block at universities, which must adapt to regulatory changes and educate future professionals accordingly. Little is known about the attitude of nursing students in Spain toward euthanasia since this law was implemented. Objective: This study aims to answer the following research questions: What is the attitude of nursing students toward euthanasia? What factors influence this attitude? Research design: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire. Participants and research context: The study population comprised all nursing students at a public university in Barcelona (n = 444), Spain, during the 2022-2023 academic year. The validated Spanish version of the Euthanasia Attitude Scale was employed. A bivariate analysis was performed. Ethical considerations: The university Ethics Committee (CEEAH 6247) approved this study. All participating students signed an informed consent form. Participation was voluntary, and data anonymity and confidentiality were guaranteed. Results: Two hundred and forty-four nursing students responded to the questionnaire. The mean total score was 79. 64. Participants with religious beliefs presented lower scores, indicating a more negative attitude toward euthanasia. Participants in their second, third, or fourth year of the nursing degree scored higher, demonstrating a more positive attitude. Conclusions: The attitude of nursing students toward euthanasia was remarkably positive. Working on ethical content during the degree course and clinical practice are factors that help to develop a more positive attitude. In addition, nursing education should encourage professional aspects to prevail over religious beliefs in euthanasia situations.
Drets:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Matèria:	Clinical ethics ; Euthanasia ; Nursing students ; Professional ethics ; Religiosity
Publicat a:	Nursing Ethics, Vol. 32, Núm. 2 (March 2025) , p. 412-423, ISSN 1477-0989

DOI: 10.1177/09697330241238342
PMID: 38491560

12 p, 590.9 KB

El registre apareix a les col·leccions:
Articles > Articles de recerca
Articles > Articles publicats