Nursing students' perceptions following the enactment of the Spanish Euthanasia Law
Arreciado Marañón, Antonia (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Infermeria)
Biurrun-Garrido, Ainoa (Universitat de Barcelona)
Mirabet Moral, Claudia (Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron)
Navarrete Reyes, Laura (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Infermeria)
Feijoo Cid, Maria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament d'Infermeria)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Grup de Recerca Multidisciplinar en Salut i Societat (GREMSAS)

Data:	2026
Resum:	Background: Little is known about nursing students' perceptions of euthanasia and their future role in the process, especially in Spain, where the Euthanasia Regulation Law was enacted relatively recently (2021). Aim: (I) To explore fourth-year nursing students' perceptions of euthanasia following its legalization in Spain; (II) To explore how nursing students envision their future professional role in the euthanasia process. Research Design: Qualitative descriptive study. Participants and research context: The study was conducted at the nursing school of a public university in Catalonia, Spain. Participants were fourth-year nursing students (2022-2023) selected through purposive sampling to ensure diverse profiles. Fourteen semi-structured individual interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using a four-phase open coding procedure. Ethical Considerations: Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. Respondent anonymity and data confidentiality were guaranteed. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results: Three categories emerged. (1) Theory and practice in euthanasia training. Students report having only limited theoretical and practical knowledge, which leaves them feeling insecure about facing these situations. Practical experience, observing professionals, and testimonies of suffering all contribute to ethical dilemmas and an evolving vision of life and death. (2) Recognizing autonomy in the context of euthanasia. Students identify multiple dimensions of autonomy, highlighting personal autonomy (the right to decide) as a fundamental principle. (3) Perception of future role. Students see their role primarily as supporting patients and families from within a multidisciplinary team. Conclusions: Euthanasia education should be reinforced by integrating ethical and emotional reflection strategies and promoting the clinical practicum as a key learning environment. Multidisciplinary teamwork skills should be honed, especially shared decision-making. Nurses must play an active role in these processes to ensure a patient-centered and rights-based approach.
Drets:	Aquest material està protegit per drets d'autor i/o drets afins. Podeu utilitzar aquest material en funció del que permet la legislació de drets d'autor i drets afins d'aplicació al vostre cas. Per a d'altres usos heu d'obtenir permís del(s) titular(s) de drets.
Llengua:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Matèria:	Ethics ; Clinical ; Professional ; Euthanasia ; Qualitative research ; Students ; Nursing
Publicat a:	Nursing Ethics, Vol. 33, Num. 1 (February 2026) , p. 84-100, ISSN 1477-0989

DOI: 10.1177/09697330251366571

Postprint 25 p, 416.4 KB

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