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1.
BMC Nurs ; 23(1): 326, 2024 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38745233

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016. Canada's legislation is the first to permit Nurse Practitioners (NP) to serve as independent MAiD assessors and providers. Registered Nurses' (RN) also have important roles in MAiD that include MAiD care coordination; client and family teaching and support, MAiD procedural quality; healthcare provider and public education; and bereavement care for family. Nurses have a right under the law to conscientious objection to participating in MAiD. Therefore, it is essential to prepare nurses in their entry-level education for the practice implications and moral complexities inherent in this practice. Knowing what nursing students think about MAiD is a critical first step. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a survey to measure nursing students' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs, influences, and willingness to be involved in MAiD in the Canadian context. METHODS: The design was a mixed-method, modified e-Delphi method that entailed item generation from the literature, item refinement through a 2 round survey of an expert faculty panel, and item validation through a cognitive focus group interview with nursing students. The settings were a University located in an urban area and a College located in a rural area in Western Canada. RESULTS: During phase 1, a 56-item survey was developed from existing literature that included demographic items and items designed to measure experience with death and dying (including MAiD), education and preparation, attitudes and beliefs, influences on those beliefs, and anticipated future involvement. During phase 2, an expert faculty panel reviewed, modified, and prioritized the items yielding 51 items. During phase 3, a sample of nursing students further evaluated and modified the language in the survey to aid readability and comprehension. The final survey consists of 45 items including 4 case studies. DISCUSSION: Systematic evaluation of knowledge-to-date coupled with stakeholder perspectives supports robust survey design. This study yielded a survey to assess nursing students' attitudes toward MAiD in a Canadian context. CONCLUSION: The survey is appropriate for use in education and research to measure knowledge and attitudes about MAiD among nurse trainees and can be a helpful step in preparing nursing students for entry-level practice.

2.
Glob Qual Nurs Res ; 11: 23333936241228233, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38433773

ABSTRACT

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) legislation has evolved rapidly in Canada with significant impacts on nursing practice. The purpose of this paper is to describe evolving complexities in legislative context and practice standards that influence the experiences nurse practitioners and registered nurses have with MAID. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 registered nurses and 10 nurse practitioners from diverse contexts across Canada. Participants described their practices and considerations when discussing MAID as part of advance care planning; their use of, and challenges with, waivers of consent; their practice considerations in negotiating the complexities of clients for whom death is not reasonably foreseeable; and their moral wrestling with the inclusion of MAID for persons whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness. Findings illustrate the moral complexities inherent in the evolving legislation and the importance of robust health and social care systems to the legal and ethical implementation of MAID in Canada.

3.
PEC Innov ; 3: 100234, 2023 Dec 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38090105

ABSTRACT

Objective: To develop and evaluate an evidence-based online Reflective Guide to prepare Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners for important professional, personal, and relational roles in MAID in Canada. Methods: The Reflective Guide was developed inductively from qualitative interviews with 120 Canadian nurses. The online Guide contains a 15 min documentary video and five areas of content: nurses' experiences, making moral sense of MAID, best practices, common dilemmas, and self-care strategies. Online visitors to the Guide were asked to participate in a mixed-method evaluation of the Guide. Results: Participants rated their experiences with the Guide highly, indicating that it helped them develop further insights about MAID and strengthened their practice. Qualitative responses revealed an array of emotions that resulted from the philosophic, moral, and professional wrestling that is characteristic of this new practice. Conclusion: The positive responses to the Guide, and the complexity of the responses submitted by respondents, attest to the effectiveness of the Guide and the importance of preparing nurses for the personal and professional aspects of MAID-related practice. Innovation: The MAID Reflective Guide is an effective innovation for nurses as evidenced by its uptake. In the first year the Guide received 2300 unique learners from 30 countries.

4.
Palliat Care Soc Pract ; 17: 26323524231209060, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37954463

ABSTRACT

Background: Providing specially trained volunteer navigators is one promising strategy for supporting the increasing number of family caregivers who are caring for children living with medical complexity. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop consensus on the role and competencies required for volunteer navigators who support caregivers of children living with medical complexity. Design: This was a mixed-method study using modified e-Delphi and focus group methods. In phase 1, a modified e-Delphi survey with 20 family caregivers and a focus group with 4 family caregivers were conducted to develop consensus on their unmet needs and the potential roles of a volunteer to meet those needs. In phase 2, a modified e-Delphi survey was conducted with experts to develop consensus on the volunteer competencies required to meet the roles identified by family caregivers in phase 1. Results: Findings from phase 1 resulted in 36 need-related items over 8 domains: communication, daily life and chores, emotional support, information and knowledge, respite, support with decision-making, and sharing the caregiving experience. Concerns about the volunteer role included the potential lack of commitment in the absence of remuneration, the complexity of the child's condition that was beyond the role of a volunteer, and a preference for support from individuals they knew. Findings from the phase 2 Delphi survey with professionals resulted in 22 competencies, derived from the roles identified in phase 1, that would be required of volunteers who wished to support these family caregivers. Conclusion: This study provides insight into a role for volunteers in meeting the needs of family caregivers of children living with medical complexity. A volunteer with lived experience and adequate preparation can assist with meeting some of these important needs. Further research is required to better understand the feasibility and acceptability of such a role.

5.
Glob Qual Nurs Res ; 10: 23333936231167309, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37168395

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to describe policies developed by English-speaking Canadian health authorities to guide multi-disciplinary healthcare practice in the context of MAID. Seventeen policies from 9 provinces and 3 territories were identified and analyzed thematically. Themes developed from these documents related to ensuring a team approach to care, supporting informed patient choice, creating region-specific guidance on eligibility criteria and safeguards, accommodating conscientious objection, and making explicit organizational responsibilities. Ethical language concerned vulnerability, non-judgmental care, dignity, non-abandonment, confidentiality, moral conscience, and diverse cultural values. Overall, these policies addressed important risk mitigation strategies, acknowledged important social contracts, and supported ethical practice. Collectively, these policies outline important considerations in the evolving Canadian context for other jurisdictions seeking to create policy around assisted death.

6.
Int J Nurs Educ Scholarsh ; 20(1)2023 Jan 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37199523

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of faculty teaching in programs designed to support internationally educated nurses' transition to nursing practice in Canada. METHODS: This was a qualitative study that gathered data through semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Four themes were developed from the data: learning the learner, feeling moral unrest in my role, inviting reciprocal relationships, and finding our way. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to ensure that faculty are well prepared for their role and that the needs of internationally educated nurses, both personal and pedagogical, are central. Despite the challenges experienced by faculty, they also describe great growth as a result of their new role. IMPLICATIONS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE: Findings from this study are particularly relevant for those in high income countries seeking to support internationally educated nurses. Faculty preparedness and holistic support for students are critical for ethical, high-quality education.


Subject(s)
Nurses, International , Nurses , Humans , Qualitative Research , Canada , Learning , Faculty , Teaching
8.
Nurs Philos ; 24(4): e12438, 2023 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37032463

ABSTRACT

Canadian nursing practice has been profoundly influenced by the legalization of medical assistance in dying in 2016, requiring that nurses navigate new and sometimes highly challenging experiences. Findings from our longitudinal studies of nurses' experiences suggest that these include deep emotional responses to medical assistance in dying, an urgency in orchestrating the perfect death, and a high degree of relational impact, both professionally and personally. Here we propose a theoretical explanation for these experiences based upon a relational ontology. Drawing upon the work of Wildman, we understand a relational ontology to be one in which relationships are more fundamentally central than the conceptual entities that provide the context to practice. It is in a relationship that conceptual entities, and their affiliated values, are created and recreated. Seen as causal, relationships have ontological status, with important implications for how we consider the concepts of death, suffering, and time in this context. From a conceptual perspective, suffering is primarily self-defined based upon personal histories, time reflects the potential remaining until death, and death is primarily biological and amoral, although social discourses of a good and bad death surround the death trajectory. However, within a relational ontology of medical assistance in dying, these understandings shift. Death becomes primarily social rather than biological, suffering is shared, and time until death is now clearly delimited. Accordingly, nurses assume a profound responsibility for influencing outcomes that are authentically person-centered. These understandings provide important insights into nurses' experiences, enabling us to recognize the causal effects, both intended and unintended, of nurses' relational practices amidst the complexities of assisted death. Drawing on such a perspective, we find implications for how we provide spaces for nurses to reflect on, and have conversations about, their experiences with some of the greatest mysteries of life-death, suffering, and time.


Subject(s)
Suicide, Assisted , Humans , Canada , Medical Assistance
9.
Can J Aging ; 42(3): 425-433, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36799030

ABSTRACT

This rapid review of systematic reviews examines non-professional interventions that have been implemented to support family caregivers of older adults with dementia who are living in the community. There is a robust body of empirical literature examining such interventions for family caregivers; therefore, this rapid review includes only systematic reviews. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases were searched from September 2020 to December 2020, and 19 systematic reviews were selected for a full review. Psychosocial, psychoeducational, social support, and multicomponent interventions consistently show positive impacts on a variety of outcomes. The evidence suggests that multicomponent interventions that are tailored to the needs of individual caregivers are the most impactful interventions and should be utilized in future program development. The most effective combination of interventions is unknown and warrants further investigation. However, the repeated success of psychoeducational, psychosocial, and social support interventions suggests that when used together, they may be a successful combination that contributes to positive impacts on caregivers. This multicomponent intervention should be flexible, as interventions are most effective when they are tailored to the individual needs of caregivers and adapted over time as the needs of the caregiver and person living with dementia change with disease progression.


Subject(s)
Caregivers , Dementia , Humans , Aged , Caregivers/psychology , Dementia/therapy , Dementia/psychology , Systematic Reviews as Topic , Quality of Life/psychology
10.
BMC Palliat Care ; 21(1): 182, 2022 Oct 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36242026

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada in 2016 provided new impetus for improving palliative care. This commitment to improvement included the development of a National Palliative Care Framework and Action Plan. The purpose of this study was to understand the progress made in palliative care since 2016 from the perspective of persons working and volunteering in palliative care and compare geographic differences. METHODS: A digital survey was developed from goals identified in Canada's Palliative Care Framework and Action Plan and administered online using Qualtrics. Participants were recruited through national palliative care organizations. The survey included both quantitative survey items designed to evaluate improvements across 5 domains and 29 items and included open-ended questions about impacts, innovations, and ongoing challenges. Descriptive statistics were generated for survey domains, items, and demographic variables. Geographic differences were compared using Independent-Samples Kruskal-Wallis test. Qualitative data was analyzed inductively into themes. RESULTS: One hundred fifty surveys met inclusion criteria and were analysed. Overall, the most improvement was reported in palliative care education and the least improvement was reported in support for family caregivers. Items on which respondents reported the most improvement included healthcare provider education in palliative care, advance care planning, and use of technology. Items on which respondents reported the least improvement were respite for family caregivers, access to bereavement services, and in-home support for family caregivers. Notably, rural participants reported more statistically significant improvements in the domains of education, access, and research and data collection than their urban counterparts. However, rural participants reported less improvement in places to die when home is not preferable. The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant contributor to these perceived improvements and ongoing challenges. CONCLUSION: Canada's Framework and Action Plan sets out a roadmap for improving palliative care in Canada. Participants in this survey noted significant improvements in key areas, a notable accomplishment amidst the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some improvements were a result of greater use of distance technology. Further leveraging these improvements will make an important contribution to solving some of the rural and remote palliative care issues that have arisen from Canada's unique geography.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Palliative Care , Canada , Humans , Pandemics , Surveys and Questionnaires
12.
Health Soc Care Community ; 30(6): e5167-e5175, 2022 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35866253

ABSTRACT

Public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as business restrictions, social distancing and lockdowns, had social and economic impacts on individuals and communities. Caremongering Facebook groups spread across Canada to support vulnerable individuals by providing a forum for sharing information and offering assistance. We sought to understand the specific impacts of Caremongering groups on individuals 1 year after the pandemic began. We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach that included semi-structured interviews with group moderators from 16 Caremongering groups and survey data from 165 group members. We used a constant comparative approach for thematic analysis of interview transcripts and open-ended text responses to the survey. We used source theme tables as joint displays to integrate interview and survey findings. Our results revealed five major themes: providing food, sharing information, supporting health and wellness, acquiring goods and services (non-food), and connecting communities. Respondents of our survey tended to be 35-65 years of age range, but reported helping adults of all ages. Our findings illustrate the potential of using a social media platform to connect with others and provide and access support. The Caremongering initiative demonstrates a community-driven, social media solution to issues such as isolation, loneliness and community health promotion.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Social Media , Adult , Humans , Pandemics , COVID-19/epidemiology , Communicable Disease Control , Loneliness
13.
JMIR Form Res ; 6(8): e37059, 2022 Aug 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35849794

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To reduce person-to-person contact, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven a massive shift to virtual care. Defined as the use of technology (synchronous or asynchronous) to support communication between health care providers and patients, rural-urban differences in virtual care are relatively unexplored. OBJECTIVE: The 2-fold purpose of this study was to examine rural and urban virtual care access, use, and satisfaction during the pandemic and to identify any unmet needs. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional online survey exploring virtual care among rural and urban adults in summer 2021 using a combination of fixed and open-ended response options. Quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using inductive thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 501 (373, 74.4% female; age range 19-86 years; 237, 47.3% rural-living) Western Canadians completed the survey. Virtual care use was high among both rural (171/237, 72.2%) and urban (188/264, 71.2%) participants, with over one-half (279/501, 55.7%) reporting having only started to use virtual care since the pandemic. The self-reported need for mental health programs and services increased during the pandemic, compared with prior for both rural and urban participants. Among virtual care users, interest in its continuation was high. Our analysis also shows that internet quality (all P<.05) and eHealth literacy (all P<.001) were positively associated with participants' perceptions of virtual care usefulness, ease of use, and satisfaction, with no rural-urban differences. Rural participants were less likely to have used video in communicating with doctors or health care providers, compared with urban participants (P<.001). When describing unmet needs, participants described a (1) lack of access to care, (2) limited health promotion and prevention options, and (3) lack of mental health service options. CONCLUSIONS: The increased demand for and use of virtual care may reflect increased availability and a lack of alternatives due to limited in-person services during the COVID-19 pandemic, so a balance between virtual care and in-person care is important to consider postpandemic. Further, ensuring availability of high-speed internet and education to support patients will be important for providing accessible and effective virtual care, especially for rural residents.

14.
Palliat Care Soc Pract ; 16: 26323524221092457, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35493960

ABSTRACT

Palliative care has become an increasingly important public health issue due to the rising acceptance of implementing a health promoting palliative care approach. To explore communication pathways that would facilitate implementation of this approach, we conducted a scoping review examining communication and enactment of care plans for older adults with life-limiting illnesses across health, social and community sectors. We used a scoping review methodology to map the current literature on communication plans between primary care and other sectors (community, health, and social). Five databases were searched MEDLINE (ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), EMBASE (Elsevier), PsychInfo (EBSCO), and Scopus. The database search identified 5,289 records, after screening and hand-searching a total of 28 articles were extracted. Three major themes were determined through the records: (1) the importance of professional relationships across sectors, (2) the importance of community navigators in sharing the care plan, and (3) and creating comprehensive and multidisciplinary care plans. Findings suggested that enacting quality care plans is important to healthcare providers; the use of an electronic health records system can be useful in ensuring that all healthcare and community systems are in place to aid patients for better community-based care. Community navigators were also key to ensure that plans are communicated properly and efficiently. Further research is needed to determine how having a clear and properly implemented communication system for a healthcare system could facilitate community sector involvement in implementing care plans.

15.
Palliat Care Soc Pract ; 16: 26323524221095102, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35592240

ABSTRACT

Background: There is an urgent need for community-based interventions that can be scaled up to meet the growing demand for palliative care. The purpose of this study was to scale out a volunteer navigation intervention called Nav-CARE by replicating the program in multiple contexts and evaluating feasibility, acceptability, sustainability, and impact. Methods: This was a scale-out implementation and mixed-method evaluation study. Nav-CARE was implemented in 12 hospice and 3 nonhospice community-based organizations spanning five provinces in Canada. Volunteers visited clients in the home approximately every 2 weeks for 1 year with some modifications required by the COVID-19 public health restrictions. Qualitative evaluation data were collected from key informants (n = 26), clients/family caregivers (n = 57), and volunteers (n = 86) using semistructured interviews. Quantitative evaluation data included volunteer self-efficacy, satisfaction, and quality of life, and client engagement and quality of life. Findings: Successful implementation was influenced by organizational capacity, stable and engaged leadership, a targeted client population, and skillful messaging. Recruitment of clients was the most significant barrier to implementation. Clients reported statistically significant improvements in feeling they had someone to turn to, knowing the services available to help them in their community, being involved in things that were important to them, and having confidence in taking care of their illness. Improvements in clients' quality of life were reported in the qualitative data, although no statistically significant gains were reported on the quality of life measure. Volunteers reported good self-efficacy and satisfaction in their role. Conclusion: The feasibility, acceptability, and sustainability of the program were largely dependent on strong intraorganizational leadership. Volunteers reported that their involvement in Nav-CARE enabled them to engage in ongoing learning and have a meaningful and relational role with clients. Clients and families described the positive impact of a volunteer on their engagement and quality of life.

16.
Nurs Inq ; 29(3): e12477, 2022 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34907621

ABSTRACT

More students than ever are electing to take part in international practicums from health-related disciplines. With the goal of better understanding the moral experiences and ethical implications of global health practicums (GHPs), the purpose of this Interpretive Descriptive study was to examine the moral uncertainty of nursing students from one university in Canada. Seventeen nurses who had participated in a GHP in their undergraduate nursing program participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed inductively using constant comparative data analysis techniques, and a thematic account of participants' experiences was developed. Findings suggest that nursing students experienced considerable amounts of moral uncertainty during their GHP. Most often, participants' experiences of uncertainty stemmed from a misalignment between their expectations and reality, including encountering different approaches to healthcare, being situated in new cultural and clinical care environments, and grappling with how best to stay within one's scope of student professional practice. Participants inconsistently reflected on these experiences, which may present a missed opportunity for professional growth through the development of a heightened social consciousness. Educators can facilitate this process by implementing robust predeparture training for GHPs, clarifying program objectives, and providing clinical debriefing.


Subject(s)
Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate , Students, Nursing , Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate/methods , Global Health , Humans , Morals , Qualitative Research , Uncertainty
17.
Front Digit Health ; 3: 688982, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34723241

ABSTRACT

Background: Volunteer programs that support older persons can assist them in accessing healthcare in an efficient and effective manner. Community-based initiatives that train volunteers to support patients with advancing illness is an important advance for public health. As part of implementing an effective community-based volunteer-based program, volunteers need to be sufficiently trained. Online training could be an effective and safe way to provide education for volunteers in both initial training and/or continuing education throughout their involvement as a volunteer. Method: We conducted an integrative review that synthesized literature on online training programs for volunteers who support older adults. The review included both a search of existing research literature in six databases, and an online search of online training programs currently being delivered in Canada. The purpose of this review was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of community-based organizations adopting an online training format for their volunteers. Results: The database search identified 13,626 records, these went through abstract and full text screen resulting in a final 15 records. This was supplemented by 2 records identified from hand searching the references, for a total of 17 articles. In addition to identifying Volunteers Roles and Responsibilities; Elements of Training; and Evaluation of Feasibility and Acceptability; a thematic analysis of the 17 records identified the categories: (1) Feasibility Promoting Factors; (2) Barriers to Feasibility; (3) Acceptability Promoting Factors; and (4) Barriers to Acceptability. Six programs were also identified in the online search of online training programs. These programs informed our understanding of delivery of existing online volunteer training programs. Discussion: Findings suggested that feasibility and acceptability of online training were promoted by (a) topic relevant training for volunteers; (b) high engagement of volunteers to prevent attrition; (c) mentorship or leadership component. Challenges to online training included a high workload; time elapsed between training and its application; and client attitude toward volunteers. Future research on online volunteer training should consider how online delivery can be most effectively paced to support volunteers in completing training and the technical skills needed to complete the training and whether teaching these skills can be integrated into programs.

18.
BMC Health Serv Res ; 21(1): 1195, 2021 Nov 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34736463

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Even as healthcare providers and systems were settling into the processes required for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) under Bill C-14, new legislation was introduced (Bill C-7) that extended assisted death to persons whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of nurses and nurse practitioners with the implementation and ongoing development of this transition. METHODS: This qualitative longitudinal descriptive study gathered data through semi-structured telephone interviews with nurses from across Canada; cross sectional data from 2020 to 2021 is reported here. The study received ethical approval and all participants provided written consent. FINDINGS: Participants included nurses (n = 34) and nurse practitioners (n = 16) with significant experience with MAID. Participants described how MAID had transitioned from a new, secretive, and anxiety-producing procedure to one that was increasingly visible and normalized, although this normalization did not necessarily mitigate the emotional impact. MAID was becoming more accessible, and participants were learning to trust the process. However, the work was becoming increasingly complex, labour intensive, and often poorly remunerated. Although many participants described a degree of integration between MAID and palliative care services, there remained ongoing tensions around equitable access to both. Participants described an evolving gestalt of determining persons' eligibility for MAID that required a high degree of clinical judgement. Deeming someone ineligible was intensely stressful for all involved and so participants had learned to be resourceful in avoiding this possibility. The required 10-day waiting period was difficult emotionally, particularly if persons worried about losing capacity to give final consent. The implementation of C-7 was perceived to be particularly challenging due to the nature of the population that would seek MAID and the resultant complexity of trying to address the origins of their suffering within a resource-strapped system. CONCLUSIONS: Significant social and system calibration must occur to accommodate assisted death as an end-of-life option. The transition to offering MAID for those whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable will require intensive navigation of a sometimes siloed and inaccessible system. High quality MAID care should be both relational and dialogical and those who provide such care require expert communication skills and knowledge of the healthcare system.


Subject(s)
Suicide, Assisted , Terminal Care , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Medical Assistance , Qualitative Research
19.
BMC Palliat Care ; 20(1): 174, 2021 Nov 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34758799

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Intolerable suffering is a common eligibility requirement for persons requesting assisted death, and although suffering has received philosophic attention for millennia, only recently has it been the focus of empirical inquiry. Robust theoretical knowledge about suffering is critically important as modern healthcare provides persons with different options at end-of-life to relieve suffering. The purpose of this paper is to present findings specific to the understanding and application of suffering in the context of MAID from nurses' perspectives. METHODS: A longitudinal qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured telephone interviews. Inductive analysis was used to construct a thematic account. The study received ethical approval and all participants provided written consent. RESULTS: Fifty nurses and nurse practitioners from across Canada were interviewed. Participants described the suffering of dying and provided insights into the difficulties of treating existential suffering and the iatrogenic suffering patients experienced from long contact with the healthcare system. They shared perceptions of the suffering that leads to a request for MAID that included the unknown of dying, a desire for predictability, and the loss of dignity. Eliciting the suffering story was an essential part of nursing practice. Knowledge of the story allowed participants to find the balance between believing that suffering is whatever the persons says it is, while making sure that the MAID procedure was for the right person, for the right reason, at the right time. Participants perceived that the MAID process itself caused suffering that resulted from the complexity of decision-making, the chances of being deemed ineligible, and the heighted work of the tasks of dying. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers involved in MAID must be critically reflective about the suffering histories they bring to the clinical encounter, particularly iatrogenic suffering. Further, eliciting the suffering stories of persons requesting MAID requires a high degree of skill; those involved in the assessment process must have the time and competency to do this important role well. The nature of suffering that patients and family encounter as they enter the contemplation, assessment, and provision of MAID requires further research to understand it better and develop best practices.


Subject(s)
Suicide, Assisted , Canada , Health Personnel , Humans , Medical Assistance , Qualitative Research
20.
Can J Aging ; : 1-11, 2021 Oct 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34666866

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and mandated physical distancing requirements significantly impacted volunteer programs for older persons with many long-standing programs either ceasing altogether or pivoting to connecting through virtual technologies. In this study, we collected qualitative interview data from 23 clients and 33 volunteers to investigate their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects on the volunteer-client relationship. Three themes were identified: pandemic emotions, negotiating social interactions, and growing through the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings provide important insights into the experiences of hospice organizations and their volunteers and clients during the COVID 19 pandemic, further highlighting the importance of acknowledging both older persons' vulnerability and their resilience, of building in compassionate community approaches to care, and of finding innovative ways to foster volunteer-client relationships during times when physical visiting is not possible.

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