Attitudes of nurses and midwives towards ill and suffering people in the aspect of the current legal and moral norms

Introduction. The basis of proper relations between people, especially in hospital surroundings, is
the love of another person, friendliness, empathy, honesty and sensitivity. These features of character
possessed by health service employees, and especially nurses and midwives, are the foundation of
meetings with the sick and suffering. The patient is first and foremost the goal and source of creating
proper relations in health care.

A nurse must obey the basic principles of having respect to a patient, justice, selflessness, charitableness,
not harming, responsibility and secrecy. This will influence good nurse-patient relation and provide
order and goodness.

Modern nursing withdraws from being "for" and "instead of" the patient introducing the rule of being
"together" with the patient. Attitude of a nurse/midwife who accepts the patient as a co-partner
means informing, teaching and assisting when the latter is helpless.
Aim. The purpose of this thesis was finding out nurses’/midwives’ attitude, conduct and opinion
towards sick and suffering people in the aspect of the current legal and moral norms.

Materials and methods. The method of diagnostic survey and questionnaire technique were used in
the research. The survey material consisted of opinions given by 100 people: 50 nurses from surgical
wards and 50 midwives.

Results and conclusions. As far as nurses and midwifes are concerned, the level of education, work
period, and individual choice of work place, did not have an influence on their attitude towards the
sick and suffering. There exist differences in the opinion of nurses and midwives concerning the patient’s
right to make decisions in the scope of its existence.