Nurses are often involved in situations associated with euthanasia. Examples may include removal of life-supporting devices, "do-not-resuscitate" orders and the prescribing of large potentially lethal doses of narcotics or sedatives. The result of such situations is that physicians order "euthanasia-like" procedures that nurses comply with. Thus nurses must confront euthanasia issues and related implications for nursing practice from a legal and ethical perspective.