This article examines professional health care workers’ attitudes to physician-assisted suicide. The author states that the traditional ideal in which professionals serve their patients & clients in accord with a public-spirited goal is giving way to practice in which professionals serve in organizations that value mainly their expertise & expect them to act in accord with the organization’s goals. Problems of representation (whom does the professional act for) & problems of authority (who has the right to make the policy for the institution) are discussed. (10 refs) (SC)