Ethical diversity and practical uncertainty : A qualitative interview study of clinicians’ experiences in the implementation period prior to voluntary assisted dying becoming available in their hospital in Victoria, Australia
Journal article
McDougall, Rosalind, Pratt, Bridget and Sellars, Marcus. (2023). Ethical diversity and practical uncertainty : A qualitative interview study of clinicians’ experiences in the implementation period prior to voluntary assisted dying becoming available in their hospital in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry. 20, pp. 71-88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-022-10224-5
Authors | McDougall, Rosalind, Pratt, Bridget and Sellars, Marcus |
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Abstract | In the Australian state of Victoria, legislation allowing voluntary assisted dying (VAD) passed through parliament in November 2017. There was then an eighteen-month period before the start date for patient access to VAD, referred to as the “implementation period.” The implementation period was intended to allow time for the relevant government department and affected organizations to develop processes before the Act came into effect in June 2019. This qualitative interview study investigates the perspectives of a multidisciplinary sample of twelve clinicians from a single metropolitan hospital during this implementation period. Maximum variation sampling was utilized to ensure breadth across discipline (medical, nursing, allied health), speciality, and stated level of support for the VAD legislation. Four key themes were identified from the interview data: preparing for the unknown, ethical diversity within the organization, building a respectful culture, and concerns about the inability of the legislated approach to capture clinical nuances. Overall, these clinicians’ workplace experiences during the implementation period were shaped by the ethical diversity within their organization and a sense of uncertainty about how the VAD legislation would integrate with the practical realities of their clinical setting. The concept of “ethical diversity” could be a useful one for supporting staff in an organization during a VAD implementation period. |
Keywords | voluntary assisted dying; euthanasia; implementation; diversity |
Year | 2023 |
Journal | Journal of Bioethical Inquiry |
Journal citation | 20, pp. 71-88 |
Publisher | Springer |
ISSN | 1176-7529 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-022-10224-5 |
PubMed ID | 36800132 |
Scopus EID | 2-s2.0-85148358690 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC10126061 |
Open access | Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access |
Page range | 71-88 |
Funder | University of Melbourne |
Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | |
Online | 17 Feb 2023 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 01 Jul 2022 |
Deposited | 12 Dec 2023 |
https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/900v0/ethical-diversity-and-practical-uncertainty-a-qualitative-interview-study-of-clinicians-experiences-in-the-implementation-period-prior-to-voluntary-assisted-dying-becoming-available-in-their-hospital
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Publisher's version
OA_McDougall_2023_Ethical_diversity_and_practical_uncertainty_A.pdf | |
License: CC BY 4.0 | |
File access level: Open |
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