Physicians, Nurses and Feeding Tubes

In an ongoing poll of medical professionals (esp. nurses and physicians), when asked if they favor or oppose removing the feeding tube in the Schiavo case, 71% favored removal. More specifically, 76% of nurses favored, and 68% of doctors favored, the removal. This is in the general ballpark of results of recent public opinion polls regarding this issue.

It is intersting to note the slightly more conservative results of physicians compared to nurses. I would have guessed similar results too since nurses spend a lot more time than physicians interacting with members of the families of patients on life support and thus are more prone to a compassionate reaction. Plus, it is more financially beneficial for physicians to keep a patient on life support and continue charging consultation fees. That may sound a bit crude, but hey, that's the real world.