Responding to persistent requests for assistance in dying: a phenomenological inquiry.

Little is known about how American nurses understand and respond to requests made by decisionally capable patients for assistance in dying. This article is based on a broader qualitative study first reported elsewhere (Schwarz, 2003). The study used phenomenological interpretation and analysis of stories told by 10 nurses who worked in home hospice, critical care, and HIV/AIDS care settings.

Understanding and responding to patients' requests for assistance in dying.

Purpose: To explore how nurses experience and respond to patients' requests for assistance in dying (AID).

Design And Methods: A phenomenological study of 10 self-selected nurses.

Findings: Four major themes: Being Open to Hear and Hearing; Interpreting and Responding to the Meaning; Responding to Persistent Requests for AID, and Reflections.