Investigating palliative care nurse attitudes towards medical assistance in dying: An exploratory cross-sectional study.

Aim: To investigate palliative care nurse attitudes towards medical assistance in dying.

Design: An exploratory cross-sectional study design.

Methods: A mailed letter recruited participants with data collection occurring on a secure online survey platform between November 2017-February 2018. Data analyses included descriptive and bivariate statistics and stepwise linear regression.

Results: Palliative care nurse attitudes towards medical assistance in dying were explained by perceived expertise in the social domain of palliative care, personal importance of religion/faith, professional importance of religion/faith, and nursing designation.

Conclusion: This study reveals the perceived importance of religion, versus religious affiliation alone, as significant in influencing provider attitudes towards assisted dying. Further research is needed to understand differences in attitudes between Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses and how the social domain of palliative care influences nurse attitude.

Impact: Organizations must prioritize nursing input, encourage open interprofessional dialogue and provide support for ethical decision-making, practice decisions, and conscientious objection surrounding medical assistance in dying. Longitudinal nursing studies are needed to understand the impact of legislation on quality and person-centred end-of-life care and the emotional well-being/retention of palliative care nurses.