Euthanasia has emerged as one of the leading ethical and moral issues of our time. This practice has been debated ever since ancient times. Medical and religious organizations are the front runners of this debate. At present, people of all classes have joined in and euthanasia movements have increased. Arguments in favour of euthanasia focus on the principles of self-determination and autonomy. The opponents on the other hand stress the danger of abuse of the practice and benefits of palliative care. The objective of this study was to explore the attitudes of university students towards the practice of euthanasia. The sample comprised three-hundred and ninety-two students from the faculties of Theology (100), Human Sciences (96), Law (99) and Medicine (99). Convenience sampling method was used to select the sample. Four different scales were used to collect data. MANOVA was used to analyze data. The results of this study showed that age and gender were not associated with the students' attitudes towards euthanasia, experiences with regards to end-of-life situations, level of religious beliefs and beliefs in autonomy. The students' year of study was also not associated with their attitudes towards euthanasia, level of religious beliefs as well as beliefs in autonomy. However, the findings showed that senior students had more experiences with regards to end-of-life situations, followed by post graduate while first- year students had the least experiences. Faculty was found to be associated with attitudes towards euthanasia, experiences with end-of-life situations as well as level of religious beliefs. Theology followed by Medical students showed the most positive attitudes towards euthanasia. Human sciences had the least positive attitudes towards euthanasia. Theology students had more experiences with regard to end-of-life situations while Human sciences showed the least experiences. Theology students were the most religious of the groups while Human sciences were the least. Medical students had the highest autonomy more than Human sciences students. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

M.Cur. / Modern technology has brought on the possibility to sustain life for an indefinit3e period, but does not give answers to the questions arising from such situations. In view of shrinking resources available for tertiary care, and the growing awareness of justice, indefinite continuation of life-support therapy has been subjected to scrutiny. Traditionally the treating physician made all decisions regarding therapy. In Western culture the public are more aware of their right to self-determination and participation in decision making with the autonomy to do so. The nurse's role also changed from "handmaiden" to an independent practitioner who takes part in decision making regarding her patient. Decisions regarding life-support therapy is sensitive and becomes more complicated the more people become involved. The following question can then be asked: What are all the factors in decision making concerning life-support therapy? The aim of this study is to identify the factors in decision making concerning life support, as the first step in defining the parameters in decision making. The design chosen to identify these factors is a qualitative, exploratory, contextual, phenomenological case-study design. one case study was done on a patient where the continuation of life support was questioned. All persons involved with the patient were included in the case study. Interviews were conducted, observations and field notes were made and patient records were explored to identify factors in decision making. A narrative was written to present this information. As these constituted the micro-level, a literature study was done to identify factors on the macro- and meso-levels. The results of the analysis are presented as a list of factors in decision making concerning life-support therapy.

Résumé Euthanasia is and always will be a hot topic of very heated debate among both non specialists and experts. The purpose of my thesis is to provide the reader with information about euthanasia and a list of rules dealing with the issue of euthanasia in selected countries. The introduction outlines the problems of euthanasia. The second chapter is devoted to clarifying the content of the notion of euthanasia, which comes from the Greek word for the phrase, "eu" meaning good and "thanatos" meaning death, a "good death", sometimes we can also meet the looser translation of euthanasia as a beautiful death. The content of the notion of euthanasia in the course of history changed. Today we see euthanasia as an act which one person intentionally ends the life of another person's own request with the intent to end her suffering. In the chapter are identified and defined forms of euthanasia, especially active and passive. The third chapter deals with the European Union's attitude to euthanasia. No law of the European Union explicitly addressed the euthanasia. Health policy in principle falls within the competence of national governments. And every Member State has its own position on the issue of euthanasia. In this chapter, I mention the idea and recommendations of the Council of Europe, though it isn't the...

MERTOVÁ, Simona. Artikulace veřejné politiky k eutanazii. Praha, 2016. 156 s. Diplomová práce (Mgr.) Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta sociálních věd, Institut sociologických studií. Katedra veřejné a sociální politiky. Vedoucí diplomové práce Prof. PhDr. Martin Potůček, CSc. MSc. Abstract The title of the diploma work stays "Articulation of public policy to euthanasia". In my diploma work I focused on the problems of euthanasia and its potential legalization in the Czech Republic from the point of view of public policy. Aim of the diploma work was to uncover key events and key actors commenting on the problems of euthanasia and its potential legalization. In my work I make use of the theories of The Advocacy Coalition Framework and The Agenda-Setting Theory and seek to identify basic value stands and major arguments of individual actors. Based on detailed analysis of key actors and key events I intend to proceed to an evaluation of the situation existing in the field of the legalization of euthanasia in the Czech Republic and to make an attempt to anticipate the future developmentand issues concerning potential passing of the law on euthanasia.

Bakgrund: I Sverige vårdas döende patienter både på hospice och på allmänna vårdavdelningar. Vissa av dessa patienter uttrycker en önskan om att få påskynda döden. Sjuksköterskor beskriver ibland en osäkerhet i hur de ska bemöta dessa patienter och vad denna önskan består i. Det kan finnas olika bakomliggande orsaker till en förfrågan av den här typen och en del av dessa kanske går att åtgärda. Syfte: Att beskriva bakomliggande faktorer till att vissa svårt sjuka patienter önskar påskynda sitt döende. Metod: En litteraturstudie baserat på 11 vetenskapliga artiklar genomfördes. Resultat: Rädsla inför lidande i framtiden visade sig vara den mest förekommande faktorn till att vissa patienter önskade påskynda döendet. Fler bidragande orsaker var svåra symtom (särskilt smärta), förluster av bland annat identitet och värdighet, samt en känsla av att vara en börda. Kombinationen av flera faktorer orsakade ett svårt lidande för patienten, och väckte en önskan om få avsluta livet innan lidandet blev för stort. Slutsats: Svårt sjuka patienters önskan om en påskyndad död betyder inte alltid att de önskar att dö, utan kan vara en följd av svåra smärtor eller annat lidande. Om dessa faktorer kan kontrolleras finns kanske en möjlighet att patientens lidande minskar. Klinisk betydelse: Denna studie bidrar till en ökad förståelse hos sjuksköterskor om vilka faktorer som påverkar patientens välbefinnande i livets slutskede. Genom att uppmuntra till ökad medvetenhet kring de riktlinjer och åtgärder som finns, framför allt i den allmänna vården utanför hospice, kan bemötandet av dessa patienter förbättras. / Background: In Sweden dying patients are cared for both in hospices and at ordinary wards. Some of these patients wish to hasten their death. Nurses sometimes describe insecurity in how to respond to a patient‟s death wish. There can be different reasons why a patient asks for euthanasia, some may be possible to eliminate. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe why some terminally ill patients wish to hasten their death. Method: A literature review based on 11 scientific papers was made. Findings: Fear of suffering in the future turned out to be the most common contributing reason to why patients wanted to end their lives. Other reasons were severe symptoms (especially pain), loss of identity and dignity, among other things, and feelings of being a burden. A combination of different factors led to a severe suffering for the patient, and a wish of ending life before the suffering grew too severe. Conclusion: Severely ill patient‟s wishes to hasten death do not necessarily mean they want to die, but can be an expression of a difficult pain or suffering. If these factors can be controlled or eliminated, there is a possibility that the patients suffering decreases. Clinical significance: This study contributes to a better understanding among nurses about the factors that influences patient‟s wellbeing at the end of life. By encouraging to a raised awareness of the existing guidelines and interventions, especially in the primary care outside of hospices, the treatment of these patients can improve.

The death-and-dying debates, especially where they focus on euthanasia is now a global debated issue and this act (euthanasia) is now practiced in a lot of countries worldwide despite some countries have not legalized it. Some religious groups and individuals are in line with the arguments for euthanasia because it provides a way to relieve extreme pain, provides a way of relief when a person’s quality of life is low and it frees up medical funds to help other people while on the other hand, other religious groups and individual base their arguments against euthanasia because such act and practice devalues human life, and because there is a "slippery slope’ effect that has occurred where euthanasia has been first been legalized for only the terminally ill and later laws are changed to allow it for other people or to be done non-voluntarily. A current debated issue is whether effective palliative care laws are changed to allow it for other people or to b e done non-voluntarily. A current debated issue is whether effective palliative care can have an influence over people’s choices towards euthanasia.

Univ., Diss.--Göttingen, 2003. / Literaturverz. S. 259 - 299.

Although animal welfare workers overwhelmingly describe themselves as animal lovers the exigencies of day to day animal welfare work often require that they perform euthanasia of healthy animals as part of welfare shelter management, and animal population control. In this research study, the particular burdens placed upon seven South Animal welfare workers who are required to rescue, care for, nurture and rehabilitate the animals in their care; while simultaneously being required to kill these same – often physically and behaviourally healthy - animals after a specific period of time, or in response to various logistical, procedural and practical intricacies, ranging from lack of space and resources to an unavailability of suitable homes; are explored from an interpretative phenomenological approach using the Interpretative Phenomenological Method (IPA), and from a South African perspective. It was found that animal-loving individuals engaged in the care and subsequent euthanasia of healthy animals report experiencing profound personal, interpersonal and professional and ideological (dis)stress related to guilt, sorrow, moral unease and horror. Four themes emerged from interview data, which are discussed in relation to relevant research and literature. Experiences in a South African context were found to be very much aligned with those reported in previous research and literature pertaining to this topic. In particular, it was found that there is a need to articulate specifically, and precisely the nature of the act. It is proposed that the term “Agapéthanasia” would be appropriate and useful in this field.

Background: The word euthanasia provokes many emotions within patients and healthcare professionals. In some countries it’s legal and in others, illegal. During end-of-life caree the nurse meets a lot of patients who are suffering. There are different kinds of suffering, physical, mental, social and existential. Nurse’s role in palliative care is to alleviate suffering and to support relatives. There are many aspects of what kind of problems you face when patients receive end-of-life care. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe euthanasia within end of life care from the nurse’s perspective. Method: A literary review was performed based on previous knowledge and by using five scientific articles with a qualitative design, one mixed method and five quantitative, peer reviewed articles. The articles were researched through the databases Cinahl Complete and Pubmed. Katie Eriksson’s nursing theory was used and her concept of suffering was used to discuss the results. Results: Four themes emerged from the results, Suffering as a reason to end a life, Religion as a reason for resistance, Education and experience and The way to decision. Many different factors affected the nurse’s views on euthanasia, and showed differences between countries where it is legal and illegal. It proved difficult to take a stand for or against euthanasia, as most nurses felt that every individual case was situation-based. Discussion: What emerged in the discussion was that if patients have a good palliative care where they get good relief of symptoms will the question of euthanasia not appear. It turned out interesting that Sweden, a country that is secularized today, was against euthanasia when we discussed religion as one of the reasons for resistance. / Bakgrund: Eutanasi (dödshjälp) är ett ord som väcker många känslor hos patienter och vårdpersonal. I vissa länder är det lagligt och i andra olagligt. I vården i livets slutskede möter sjuksköterskan många lidande patienter. Det finns olika typer av lidande, fysiskt, psykiskt, socialt och existentiellt. Sjuksköterskans roll är då att lindra och uppmärksamma lidande hos patienten samt att vara ett stöd till anhöriga. Det finns många aspekter av de problem sjuksköterskan möter när patienter vårdas i livets slutskede. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva sjuksköterskans syn på eutanasi inom vården i livets slutskede. Metod: En litteraturöversikt utfördes utifrån tidigare kunskap genom att använda sig av fem vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ design, en med mixad metod samt fem med kvantitativ design. Artiklarna söktes fram via databaserna Cinahl Complete och Pubmed. Katie Erikssons omvårdnadsteori om lidande har använts för att diskutera resultatet. Resultat: I resultatet framkom det fyra teman, Lidandet som grund för viljan att avsluta sitt liv, Religion som skäl till motstånd, Utbildning och erfarenhet samt Vägen till beslutet. Det var olika faktorer som påverkade sjuksköterskans syn på eutanasi och att dessa skiljde sig åt mellan länder där eutanasi är olagligt respektive lagligt. Sjuksköterskan hade svårt att ställa sig positiv eller negativ till eutanasi då de flesta sjuksköterskor upplevde att varje enskilt fall var situationsbaserat. Diskussion: Det som framkom i litteraturen var att om patienter får en god palliativ vård där de blir väl symtomlindrade kommer frågan om eutanasi att uppstå mer sällan. Det visade sig även intressant att Sverige som är ett sekulariserat land är idag emot eutanasi då vi diskuterat religion som beskrivs vara ett av skälen till motstånd i resultatet.

Law / LL.M.