Journal of East-West Nursing Research (동서간호학연구지)

East-west Nursing Research Institute, Kyung Hee University (경희대학교 동서간호학연구소)
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Nurses and Physicians' Attitudes toward Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment and Knowledge of the Guideline of Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment

간호사와 의사의 연명치료 중지에 대한 태도와 연명치료 중지 지침에 대한 지식

  • Kim, Ji Seon (Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital) ;
  • Moon, Seongmi (Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan) ;
  • Nam, Kyoung A (Division of Nursing.Research Institute of Nursing Science, Hallym University)
  • 김지선 (한림대학교 성심병원) ;
  • 문성미 (울산대학교 의과대학 간호학과) ;
  • 남경아 (한림대학교 간호학부, 한림대학교 간호학 연구소)
  • Received : 2017.04.28
  • Accepted : 2017.11.08
  • Published : 2017.11.30
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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of current study was to investigate nurses and physicians' attitudes towards withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (LST) and knowledge about withdrawal of LST guideline by Korean Medical Association. Methods: Data were collected from 345 nurses and 88 physicians using a self-report questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test or ${\chi}2$ test. Results: Participants' attitudes towards withdrawal of LST were positive and there was no significant difference between nurses and physicians. Nurses' knowledge of the guideline for withdrawal of LST was significantly higher than that of physicians, whereas physicians' knowledge of the purpose of the guideline was significantly higher than that of nurses. Conclusions: Nurses and physicians' knowledge of and attitudes toward withdrawal of LST may affect the quality of life of patients and their families. The result of this study may be helpful to design a program for improving the perception on LST of healthcare providers.

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References

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