New Survey Findings on Nurses’ Values and Perspectives on MAID

The American Nurses Association’s Center For Ethics and Human Rights and the University of California, San Diego Health released the results from two new comprehensive studies of more than 2,374 nurses in the United States on Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). Both qualitative and quantitative responses explore and describe nurses’ values, perceptions, and perspectives on MAiD. Nurse respondents report a need and desire for more guidance on the expectations of their role in MAiD to provide competent and quality care where it is legalized.

Key findings from the quantitative study published in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing:

86% of nurses would care for a patient contemplating MAiD
67% of nurses would care for a patient in the final act of MAiD
57% of nurses support MAiD in the context of their professional role as a nurse
49% of nurses personally support MAiD
38% of nurses believe a patient should be the only one to self-administer life-ending medications
49% of nurses believe MAiD should be allowed by advance directive
Nurses were more likely to support the concept of MAiD if they felt knowledgeable about MAiD
Nurses who described themselves as spiritual were more likely to support MAiD than those who described themselves as religious.

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