Introduction and aim. A development of modern medicine offers better treatment options and extension of life. The study aimed to analyse and compare the knowledge and attitudes towards persistent therapy among medical personnel. Material and methods. A total of 76 employees of the Department of Intensive Therapy, Children’s Memorial Health Institute: nurses constituted 66% of all, physicians constituted 34% of all; there were 64 women. A voluntary and anonymous questionnaire study, an original questionnaire: 26 questions. Statistical analysis: STATISTICA 12.5 (licensed to Warsaw Medical University), the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. Results. Most study participants believed that persistent therapy is artificial life support for patients with lethal lesions. Both doctors and nurses had already been engaged in procedures characteristic of persistent therapy. Most respondents said that it is impossible to get used to death and it partly influences their private lives. Moreover, they believed that patients have the right to withdraw from persistent therapy. ‘A dignified death’ is the right of every person to fair treatment when dying (72 persons); it is also experiencing death in a Christian manner, not escaping it (48 persons); finally, it is also giving patients information about their condition and possible treatment options and thus providing them with a choice (46 persons). Most study participants said that ‘a dignified death’ means withdrawal from persistent therapy. Conclusions. It is difficult to define clearly the terms of persistent therapy and dignified death. According to the respondents, it is impossible to get used to death, which may indirectly affect private lives of the medical personnel. Therefore, the most effective tools should be introduced to prevent the burnout syndrome. A psychologist supporting both patients and their families as well as medical personnel is an essential member of an interdisciplinary therapy team in the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Children’s Memorial Health Institute.

Key words: level of knowledge, attitudes, physicians, nurses, children, persistent therapy.