Oncology nurses' attitudes toward the legalization of voluntary active euthanasia.

Euthanasia is not a new concept. However, there is a growing trend to legalize voluntary active euthanasia. The purpose of this study was to explore oncology nurses' attitudes toward voluntary active euthanasia. The population consisted of 200 registered nurses who were members of the Oncology Nurses' Society and who resided in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. I developed a questionnaire using a Likert-type scale to measure the attitudes. A one-way analysis of variance was used for data analysis. Relationships among religious beliefs, personal experience, educational preparation, and years of practice as an oncology nurse were investigated. Religious belief was the only variable that was significant in the formation of attitudes toward voluntary active euthanasia.