Life-Terminating Choices:
A Framework for Nursing Decision-Making

BIENNIAL CONVENTION CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, JUNE 1995

Resolution #9

Task Force

TITLE: The Nurse’s Role in Responding to Patients Who Make Life-Terminating

Choices Under Conditions of Futility.

WHEREAS, Citizens in the state of Oregon on November 8, 1994 voted to permit physician aid in dying to qualified citizens requesting such assistance; and

WHEREAS, the law has yet to be enacted due to legal challenges, providing a window of opportunity to study the potential effect of this legislation on all health provider groups; and

WHEREAS, citizens in other states are considering similar legislation; and

WHEREAS, the legal provisions do not dictate individual moral choices; and

WHEREAS, nurses are responsible for clarifying their own ethical choices and actions as independent moral agents; and

WHEREAS, nurses need to assert their right to act on moral choices and have those choices honored without recrimination: Be it therefore

RESOLVED, that the National League for Nursing establish a Task Force to examine the moral, ethical, and legal dimensions of the nurse’s role in responding to patients who make life-terminating choices under conditions of futility, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Task Force report back to the Board of Governors at each of their meetings during the biennium and to the membership at the next biennial meeting.

Resolution #9 Task Force

Barbara A. May, PhD, RN, chair
Associate Professor
Linfield College School of Nursing
2255 NW Northrup
Portland, OR 97321

Ruth M. Neil, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor, School of Nursing
U. of Colorado Health Sciences Center
4200 East 9th Avenue - Box C-287
Denver, CO 80262

Betsy Todd, MPH, RN, former staff
National League for Nursing
61 Broadway
New York, NY 10006

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