Abstract
A survey was made comparing attitudes of physicians, housestaff, and nurses on care of the dying. Although overall the three groups of health professionals appeared to feel quite comfortable in talking with dying patients, about 20 per cent still expressed a high degree of discomfort. The recent shift toward the belief that patients should be informed about their prognosis was supported by the present study. Age and recent experience with terminal patients appeared to affect this belief more than type of profession. Substantial differences were found in beliefs about analgesic administration among nurses, physicians, and housestaff. In addition, there seemed to be a general consensus that the present facilities to care for the dying were inadequate. Specific shortcomings and solutions were suggested by the respondents.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.