This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 0269216308100248v1 23/2/158    most recent References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Pugh, E. Articles by Blenkinsopp, J Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Pugh, E. Articles by Blenkinsopp, J Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A profile of the belief system and attitudes to end-of-life decisions of senior clinicians working in a National Health Service Hospital in the United Kingdom

University of Teesside and Consultant in Palliative Medicine, North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust, Stockton on Tees edwin.pugh{at}nth.nhs.uk

R Song

Department of Theology and Religion, University of Durham, Durham

V Whittaker

School of Health and Social Care, University of Teesside, Middlesborough

J Blenkinsopp

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, Stockton on Tees

There is evidence from outside the United Kingdom to show that physicians’ religious beliefs influence their decision making at the end of life. This UK study explores the belief system of consultants, nurse key workers and specialist registrars and their attitudes to decisions which commonly must be taken when caring for individuals who are dying. All consultants (N = 119), nurse key workers (N = 36) and specialist registrars (N = 44) working in an acute hospital in the north-east of England were asked to complete a postal questionnaire. In all, 65% of consultants, 67% of nurse key workers and 41% of specialist registrars responded. Results showed that consultants’ religion and belief systems differed from those of nurses and the population they served. Consultants and nurses had statistically significant differences in their attitudes to common end of life decisions with consultants more likely to continue hydration and not withdraw treatment. Nurses were more sympathetic to the idea of physician-assisted suicide for unbearable suffering. This study shows the variability in belief system and attitudes to end of life decision making both within and between clinical groups. This may have practical implications for the clinical care given and the place of care. The personal belief system of consultants was not shown to affect their overall attitudes to withdrawing life-sustaining treatment or physician-assisted suicide.

Key Words: attitudes • belief • clinicians • decisions • end of life • spirituality

This version was published on March 1, 2009

Palliative Medicine, Vol. 23, No. 2, 158-164 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0269216308100248


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?