Dysthanasia: nursing professionals' perception

Authors

  • Milene Barcellos de Menezes Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Lucilda Selli Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos
  • Joseane de Souza Alves Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692009000400002

Keywords:

terminally ill, euthanasia, nursing, bioethics

Abstract

Dysthanasia means slow and painful death without quality of life. This study aimed to know whether nurses identify dysthanasia as part of the final process of the lives of terminal patients hospitalized at an adult ICU. This is an exploratory-qualitative study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten nurses with at least one year of experience in an ICU, and interpreted through content analysis. Results indicate that nurses understand and identify dysthanasia, do not agree with it and recognize elements of orthonasia as the adequate procedure for terminal patients. We conclude that nurses interpret dysthanasia as extending life with pain and suffering, while terminal patients are submitted to futile treatments that do not benefit them. They also identify dysthanasia using elements of orthonasia to explain it.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2009-08-01

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 4 (2009)

Section

Original Articles

License

RLAE’s authorship concept is based on the substantial contribution by each of the individuals listed as authors, mainly in terms of conceiving and planning the research project, collecting or analyzing and interpreting data, writing and critical review. Indication of authors’ names under the article title is limited to six. If more, authors are listed on the online submission form under Acknowledgements. The possibility of including more than six authors will only be examined on multicenter studies, considering the explanations presented by the authors.
Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
 Authors are fully responsible for the concepts disseminated in their manuscripts, which do not necessarily reflect the editors’ and editorial board’s opinion.

 

How to Cite

Dysthanasia: nursing professionals’ perception. (2009). Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 17(4), 443-448. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692009000400002