Do you agree with the doctor’s decision to continue treatment? A scenario-based study of hospital nurses in Italy

Introduction. A lack of social consensus on the duty to comply with a patient’s request to forgo treatment was reported in Italy, but little is known about the nurses’ attitudes regarding this issue. Materials and methods. Questionnaire including two clinical scenarios regarding doctor’s decision to not comply with a competent patient’s request to forgo treatment was administered to all nurses (n=487) of an Italian medium-sized hospital. Results. Eighty-five percent of nurses completed the study. Although 83% of participants supported a general right to self-determination, around 40% of them agreed with the doctor’s decision in both scenarios. The multivariate analyses adjusted for gender, age, length of professional experience, and care setting showed that the agreement with the doctor’s decision was significantly associated with nurses’ personal background beliefs about self-determination and quality of life. Discussion and Conclusions. Many nurses have difficulty in accepting a patient’s request to forgo treatment. Increasing ethical reflection and discussion at both educational and professional level, and introducing ethical consultation services would be essential to develop a consistent approach to end-of-life decisions in Italian hospitals.

The Museum of Renaissance Music: A History in 100 Exhibits

This book collates 100 exhibits with accompanying essays as an imaginary museum dedicated to the musical cultures of Renaissance Europe, at home and in its global horizons. It is a history through artefacts—materials, tools, instruments, art objects, images, texts, and spaces—and their witness to the priorities and activities of people in the past as they addressed their world through music. The result is a history by collage, revealing overlapping musical practices and meanings—not only those of the elite, but reflecting the everyday cacophony of a diverse culture and its musics. Through the lens of its exhibits, this museum surveys music’s central role in culture and lived experience in fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Europe, offering interest and insights well beyond the strictly musicological field

Asthma in patients admitted to emergency department for COVID-19: prevalence and risk of hospitalization

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