An Educator’s Reflection on the exploration of the ethical issues of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) with Nursing and Healthcare Students

Abstract

In 2016, the Canadian federal government passed Bill C-14, a statute to enable those with irremediable conditions to obtain medical assistance in dying. This paper is my reflection from the dialogues I continue to have with students in lectures where we explore the various issues that MAiD presents for the health care system and for physicians and nurses who are called upon to assist in dying, with specific reference to the Canadian context from the perspectives of human rights and Kantian and utilitarian ethics. Specific attention is paid to conscientious objection within the Canadian context to fully protect nurses and physicians from negative consequences for whom participation in medically assisted dying is ethically objectionable. A relational approach is proposed as a framework that acknowledges the vulnerability of both nurses and those who are suffering as an ethical approach to avoid Kant’s concern with using persons as means to an end.