Yolanda Rodríguez

Background Safeguarding the right to die according to the principles of autonomy and freedom of each person has become more important in the last decade, therefore increasing regulation of Euthanasia and Medically Assisted Suicide (MAS). Aims To learn the opinions that the nurses of the autonomous region of Madrid have regarding Euthanasia and Medically Assisted Suicide. Research design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants and research context All registered nurses in Madrid. The study was done by means of a self-completed anonymous questionnaire. The variables studied were social-demographic, giving opinions about Euthanasia and MAS. Ethical considerations Each participant was assured maximum confidentiality and anonymity, ensuring the ethical principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki, as well as in the Organic Law 3/2018, on Personal Data Protection and guarantee of digital rights. Findings A total of 489 nurses answered the questionnaire. In total, 75.7% of the nurses confirmed that Euthanasia should be regulated in Spain. 66.3% indicated that information on Euthanasia should be provided jointly by doctors and nurses, and 42.3% considered that it could be applied by both medical and nursing professionals. A total of 87.2% advocated the participation of nurses in health policy, influencing the drafting of the law. In the face of possible regulation, 35% would request Conscientious Objection, being closely related to their religious beliefs. Discussion Different authors point out that nurses’ perceptions and attitudes towards Euthanasia are conditioned by different factors, such as religion, gender, poor palliative care, legality and the patient's right to die. Conclusion Nurses are positioned in favour of the regulation and practice of Euthanasia and MAS, depending on their age, years of experience, training, model of care and especially religious beliefs.

Bioethics has become a crucial discipline in higher education. This study aims to understand the institutionalization of bioethics within this field and examine documented initiatives related to its integration. To achieve this, a systematic mapping was conducted using Petersen and Kitchenham’s methodology, analysing 444 relevant articles. The results indicate a higher concentration of studies addressing the institutionalization of bioethics at the undergraduate level (40.5 per cent), with fewer publications focused on the postgraduate level (19.4 per cent). Most of the studies are concentrated in the health sciences (81.3 per cent), while the remainder are distributed among the social sciences, humanities, biological sciences, and engineering. The analysis revealed a significant lack of studies on comparative practices and the use of replicated experiences (2 per cent), as well as limited evidence on the institutionalization of bioethics research in higher education (10.3 per cent). These gaps underscore the need for further research in these areas. Additionally, the integration of active methodologies and educational technologies has enhanced bioethics programmes (21.4 per cent), fostering more interactive and engaged learning environments. This study highlights a critical gap in the implementation of bioethics based on empirically validated experiences. It proposes the development of an implementation model that adapts these experiences to different educational contexts. Cooperation between institutions and the creation of research networks are recommended as key strategies for sharing best practices, thereby facilitating the more effective and widespread integration of bioethics across various educational settings.