It may be troubling to consider, but in time we may hear more requests from patients to have assistance in dying. This article discusses a survey on responses of nurses in the U.S. about providing aid in dying. There are currently 10 states and Washington DC that have laws permitting medical aid in dying. Florida considered such legislation for the first time in 2020 but it did not pass.
TITLE
Nurses' Values and Perspectives on Medical Aid in Dying: A Survey of Nurses in the United States.
JOURNAL
Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
DOI
10.1097/NJH.0000000000000820
Author(s)
JE Davidson;G Bojorquez;M Upvall;F Stokes;MSD Bosek;M Turner;YS Lee
Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the values and perspectives of nurses regarding medical aid in dying (MAiD). The values of nurses regarding this controversial topic are poorly understood. A cross-sectional electronic survey was sent to American Nurses Association nurse members; 2390 responded; 2043 complete data sets were used for analysis. Most nurses would care for a patient contemplating MAiD (86%) and less during the final act of MAiD (67%). Personally, 49% would support the concept of MAiD, and professionally as a nurse by 57%. Nurses who identified as Christian were less likely to support MAiD. Only 38% felt that patients should be required to self-administer medications; 49% felt MAiD should be allowed by advance directive. The study results provide new insight into the wide range of nurses' values and perceptions regarding MAiD. Health care policy and nursing standards need to be written to accommodate the wide variation in nurses' values.
https://www.focalize.md/find-journals/?a=4j9ccX0BEtb5a2zzdRws
In this study, 39 patients on palliative care units in Sweden were asked about what mattered most to them at the end of their lives. To be free from pain and to be able to feel comfortable with their caretakers were of highest priority. Perhaps "conversation cards" can be used?
TITLE
A Reduced Deck of Conversation Cards of Wishes and Priorities of Patients in Palliative Care.
JOURNAL
Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
DOI
10.1097/NJH.0000000000000846
Author(s)
Olsson Möller|Ulrika|U|;Beck|Ingela|I|;Fürst|Carl Johan|CJ|;H Rasmussen|Birgit|B|
Abstract
The individual wishes and priorities of patients with advanced disease are too often neglected, making a deck of cards with statements reflecting potential wishes and priorities a useful conversation tool. However, in the most ill patients, the card selection and sorting process may be too strenuous. The aims of this study were to explore the wishes and priorities of patients receiving palliative care and to reduce a deck of statement cards to be clinically useable even for the most ill patients. In interviews, participants selected their top 10 from a deck of 46 statement cards. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used. Thirty-nine patients from 5 specialized palliative care units in Sweden participated. Six participants died within 1 month of the interviews. "To be free from pain" was ranked as the highest priority by the majority, and "To have staff I feel comfortable with" was ranked highest by the 6 most ill participants. A deck of cards with the 20 statements most chosen by patients receiving palliative care was created. The cards cover physical, psychological, social, existential, and practical aspects and are helpful for formulating goals of care for patients and informing the development of a core outcome set for palliative care.
https://www.focalize.md/find-journals/?a=uFGV3X4BEtb5a2zzqzRM
