The research explores nurses’ values, perceptions, and perspectives on MAiD and demonstrates a need for more guidance on the expectations of the nurse’s role to provide competent and quality care where MAiD is legalized.
“Nurse respondents to the study held concerns about the process, policy, potential psychological harm, legal risk, and the need to learn more about MAiD,” said Bosek, an associate professor and registered nurse. The findings suggest that nurse educators should assist nursing students to understand both their personal and professional values related to the subject, added Bosek.
“Organizations in states where MAiD is a legal option need to assist nurses to understand MAiD and carefully construct policy/standards to minimize conflict, moral distress, and psychological harm amongst nurses,” said Bosek.
MAiD is currently legal in 10 states including Vermont, plus Washington D.C., and legislation is pending in Connecticut, Arizona, and Massachusetts.
Bosek was part of the team that drafted the 2019 American Nurses Association (ANA) position statement, The Nurse’s Role When a Patient Requests Medical Aid in Dying, which addresses the growing ethical questions and challenges that nurses face when responding to a patient’s request for MAiD.
“Exploring the Birth Stories of Women on the Autism Spectrum” has earned Laura Foran Lewis, Ph.D., RN the 2022 Best of The Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing (JOGNN) award. Dr. Lewis, an assistant professor at the University of Vermont (UVM) College of Nursing and Health Sciences will receive the award in June at the 2022 Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Convention for herself and her co-authors, UVM and UVM nursing graduates Hannah Schirling, Emma Beaudoin, Hannah Scheibner, and Alexa Cestrone.
Lewis and her team explored birth stories of autistic women to understand how they make sense of the experience of childbirth. Accounts of poor communication, untreated pain, and sensory overload dominated the birth narratives, as study participants expressed feelings that their concerns were minimized, their wishes were ignored, and they were left out of critical communication and education during the birth process. Participants also emphasized the struggle they experienced when their own autistic traits, such as sensory sensitivities, were out of balance with the birth environment, impairing their ability to communicate with providers and participate in the birth.
The study concluded that nurses could help improve the birth experiences of autistic women by providing thorough and nonjudgmental education about the birth process; trusting women’s reports of pain and anxiety; and making environmental adjustments to help minimize sensory overload.
The study results pose a new challenge to conclusions of previous research documenting delayed bonding between autistic mothers and their babies, Lewis adds.
“In the past, we’ve just assumed that these early parenting outcomes are directly related to autism, but our study sheds new light on the severe trauma many of these women face during childbirth that may lead to detachment and postpartum depression,” said Lewis.
Lewis’s research contributes important evidence to the practice of inclusive health care, said Nursing Department Chair Rosemary Dale, Ed.D., APRN.
“Professional nurses care for a full spectrum of pregnant individuals. The more we are able to highlight the similarities and the unique needs of groups, then we are able to tailor our care and maximize inclusivity,” said Dale.
Lewis will receive the award at the 2022 Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) Convention in June.
As the COVID pandemic continues, new research reveals how people in Vermont and Maine are struggling with their mental and physical health.
The findings detail numerous troubling health trends—including significant increases in anxiety, depression, weight gain, substance use, chronic disease, missed medications and food insecurity—since the pandemic’s onset.
The new report, released today by University of Vermont and University of Maine researchers, finds that many of these health problems are highest among individuals suffering from food insecurity.
“The pandemic has added so much stress and uncertainty to people’s lives, these findings show the mental and physical toll it’s having,” says Meredith Niles of UVM, who leads the National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT), a consortium of researchers in 15 states.
Key findings:
Nearly 50% reported anxiety or depression during the pandemic.
Roughly 40% reported weight gain.
Roughly 29% reported food insecurity.
Individuals with food insecurity were up to 7 times more likely to skip or stop their medication for anxiety, depression, or hypertension, compared to food secure respondents.
Those with persistent food insecurity (before and during the pandemic) were 8.8 times more likely to experience higher levels of stress, 2.6 times more likely to experience anxiety, and be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Users of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs were more likely to increase substance use. Substance use was also associated with a higher prevalence of stress.
Food insecure individuals were significantly less likely to consume fruits and vegetables and engage in physical activity than those who are food secure.
LGBTQ+ individuals were more likely to be food insecure, 4 times more likely to report anxiety or depression, and experienced greater stress than non-LGBTQ+ individuals.
“These findings shed light on some of the pandemic’s potential long-term health impacts,” says Jennifer Laurent of UVM’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. “These rates of obesity, Type-2 diabetes, depression and anxiety are very concerning—and it’s alarming that people are skipping and stopping medications. We need integrated approaches to address these issues, including among the food insecure, who generally face greater barriers to support for mental health and well-being.”
The research is based on a survey of nearly 1,000 adults in Vermont and Maine in 2021.
One of the most surprising findings were the elevated health issues in the LGBTQ+ community, the researchers say.
“Comparing health outcomes across different demographics, we were struck by the impact COVID-19 is having on our LGBTQ+ respondents,” says Farryl Bertmann of UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We found patterns of significant health concern, including higher rates of food insecurity and an increased likelihood of depression and anxiety.”
NFACT researchers have conducted multiple surveys and analyses tracking food security and health during COVID. Previous NFACT research has determined that U.S. food insecurity increased 34% in year one of the pandemic, food insecurity hit record levels in Vermont, and that home food procurement—from hunting to gardening—increased in the Northeast as a solution to food insecurity.
NFACT is the largest collaborative multi-site study of U.S. studies on understanding the impact of the COVID pandemic on food insecurity and health.
