NEONATAL EUTHANASIA - ATTRIBUTIONS OF STUDENTS AND NURSES

An attributional analysis of neonatal euthanasia was undertaken in two studies to compare the responsibility attributions of nursing and non -nursing students (Study 1) and nurses (Study 2) toward a physician fo r a critically ill neonate's death. In both studies, vignettes about a newborn's death differed with respect to the physician's treatment of the critically ill newborn. In the student study, the physician was a ttributed the least responsibility for the newborn's death when cardio pulmonary resuscitation was attempted but failed, followed by the phys ician's issuance of either a ''Do Not Resuscitate'' order or an order to turn of the infant's respirator. Greatest responsibility was attrib uted to the physician when he ordered the infant's nutritional and hyd ration support to be terminated. In addition, the student's major (nur sing vs. non-nursing) and the nursing student's educational cohort imp acted the level of physician responsibility attributed. In contrast, t he nurses' study found that the termination of nutritional and hydrati onal support was viewed as different from the physician's other three actions.