24 July 2019
If you were asked by a patient for information about voluntary assisted dying, how would you respond? The University of Adelaide is seeking your views to help support you to respond to what may become an increasingly frequent clinical encounter.
Click here to take survey (15-minute completion time)
The survey builds on an in-depth survey of 45 advanced practice nurses conducted last year, which identified the following four dominant types of responses to requests for information about voluntary assisted dying:
The nurse offers support to progress the request to the medical team.
The nurse explores with the patient their concerns or motivations that led to the request.
The nurse assesses the patient’s support and information needs.
The nurse’s own values override the request and the patient’s attention is drawn to enhanced palliation instead of assisted dying.
Recent legislation in Victoria means that nearly 25% of Australians may have access to voluntary assisted dying services. With a parliamentary committee exploring end-of-life choices for South Australia, voluntary euthanasia laws may follow here (and in other states and territories).
The outcomes of the University of Adelaide study will help with future support and preparation for nurses to handle these challenging conversations