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Library Resource Guides: #1 Voluntary assisted dying

About this guide

On 19 June 2019, Victoria’s assisted dying laws came into effect. The Library has compiled the following online resources on this topic, to help understand the law and how it may impact your practice.

Voluntary Assisted Dying Legislation

Voluntary Assisted Dying Act (Victoria) 2017 Victorian legislation available online, incorporating any amendments

Government & industry resources on VAD

Voluntary assisted dying (Victorian Department of Health)
Health practitioner information (Victorian Department of Health)
Health practitioner best practice guidance (Victorian Department of Health)
Presentation slides from the Voluntary Assisted Dying Implementation Conference 8-10 May 2019
Archived website
Medical assistance in dying(Canadian Nurses Association)
Medical assistance in dying (MAID) has been legal in Canada since 2016. Nurse practitioners, physicians, pharmacists, and “persons aiding practitioners” (including nurses) are permitted to help those who have explicitly requested MAID.

Read the latest VAD articles from The Conversation RSS feed

Relevant articles (open-access)

"Medical assistance in dying (MAiD): Canadian nurses’ experiences" by Beuthin, Rosanne, Anne Bruce, and Margaret Scaia
Publication Date: 2018
Article from Nursing forum (Vol. 53. No. 4)
"Exploring the meaning and practice of self-care among palliative care nurses and doctors: a qualitative study" by Mills, Jason, Timothy Wand, and Jennifer A. Fraser
Publication Date: 2018
Article from BMC palliative care (Vol. 17. No. 1)
"Medical assistance in dying: lessons for Australia from Canada" by Downie, Jocelyn
Publication Date: 2017
Article from QUT Law Review (Vol. 17)
"Voluntary assisted dying legislation in Victoria: what can we learn from the Netherlands experience?" by Mendelson, Danuta
Publication Date: 2017
Article from Journal of Law and Medicine (Vol. 25)
"New Zealand doctors’ and nurses’ views on legalising assisted dying in New Zealand" by Oliver, Pam, Michael Wilson, and Phillipa Malpas
Publication Date: 2017
Article from New Zealand Medical Journal (Vol. 130. No. 1456)

Books

Textbook of palliative care by Roderick Duncan MacLeod, Lieve Van den Block
Publication Date: 2019
Open access book available through SpringerLink.
Dear life : on caring for the elderly by Karen Hitchcock
Call Number: 610.7365 HIT 2015
Also available as an ebook (Ebook Central account required - available to ANMF Vic Branch members)

Podcasts

Nursing pespective on assisted dying with ANMF Vic Branch job representative, Tara Nipe
Podcast from Dying with Dignity Victoria (26 September 2017)