Palliative Care Advanced Practice Nurses' Experiences with Medical Assistance in Dying

dc.contributor.advisorRaffin Bouchal, Shelley
dc.contributor.authorShand, Michelle
dc.contributor.committeememberKing-Shier, Kathryn
dc.contributor.committeememberVenturato, Lorraine
dc.date2021-11
dc.date.accessioned2021-07-27T18:58:14Z
dc.date.available2021-07-27T18:58:14Z
dc.date.issued2021-07-22
dc.description.abstractMedical assistance in dying (MAID) is new to Canada and there have been over 1500 cases in Alberta since June 2016. The philosophy, intent, and approach to care of palliative care and MAID are different; MAID is not part of palliative care. Palliative care philosophy involves neither hastening nor postponing death. The differences between palliative care and MAID lead to inherent tensions for health care providers. Thus, palliative care advanced practice nurses (APNs) experience challenges while following patients and their families through the MAID process. Very little is known about palliative care APNs’ experiences with MAID and how they navigate MAID while working within the philosophy of palliative and hospice care. The purpose of this research was to understand experiences of palliative care APNs when caring for patients requesting or receiving MAID. Using hermeneutics as a methodology, I conducted interviews with guiding prompts to allow for the palliative care APNs’ story to unfold. I recruited palliative care APNs working for Alberta Health Services within the Calgary zone in urban and rural settings. By conducting research on this topic, challenges, and issues that palliative care APNs might be facing were explored. Through the data analysis, moral distress was apparent; the palliative care APNs experienced moral distress. Nurses who face moral distress can be negatively impacted spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Nurses also faced organizational challenges in navigating APN practice and the MAID team processes. There are opportunities for future research to be conducted so that educational and supportive tools can be developed in the future for nurses caring for patients receiving MAID; these include revising regulatory documents pertaining to MAID to incorporate the role of the palliative care APN and addressing the stigma associated with MAID.en_US
dc.identifier.citationShand, M. (2021). Palliative Care Advanced Practice Nurses' Experiences with Medical Assistance in Dying (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39041
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/113669
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyNursingen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectadvanced practice nursesen_US
dc.subjectpalliative careen_US
dc.subjectmedical assistance in dying (MAID)en_US
dc.subject.classificationNursingen_US
dc.titlePalliative Care Advanced Practice Nurses' Experiences with Medical Assistance in Dyingen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineNursingen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Nursing (MN)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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