Browsing by Author "Chencinski, Luna"
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- ItemInvestigating the attitudes towards euthanasia held by registered nurses enrolled in post-graduate nursing programmes at a university in the Western Cape(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2022-04) Chencinski, Luna; Bell, Janet; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Euthanasia is a controversial topic which affects nurses in their day-to-day practice. Aims: To determine the attitude towards euthanasia held by South African registered nurses and establish if there is any correlation between demographic variables of participants and attitude towards euthanasia in general, passive euthanasia, active euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia. Methods: A pre-validated self-administered online survey using a quantitative, descriptive, cross-section design was used to collect data about nurses’ attitudes towards euthanasia. Attitudes towards euthanasia were scored using a 5-point Likert scale. Approximately half of the questions were negatively scored to reduce response-set effect. Results: Overall, 39% of nurses supported euthanasia, 41% opposed euthanasia and 18% were neutral towards euthanasia. A correlation was found between nurses’ religiosity and support for active euthanasia and a correlation was found between nurses’ years of work experience and their support for non-voluntary euthanasia. No other correlations between nurses’ demographic data and attitudes towards euthanasia, passive euthanasia, active euthanasia and non-voluntary euthanasia was found. Conclusion: This study shows that religiosity determines nurses’ attitudes towards active euthanasia and that working experience determines nurses’ attitudes towards non-voluntary euthanasia. Furthermore, support and opposition of euthanasia among registered nurses is roughly equal.