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​Please note that the information in this section does not cover all legislation that may apply to medical assistance in dying. It should not be used as a substitute for the actual legislation or for obtaining appropriate legal advice.

 

Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is legal in Canada and regulated under the Criminal Code. Under specific conditions, a person can request and receive help to end their life by having a physician or nurse practitioner (NP):

  • administer a medication that causes their death, or
  • prescribe or provide a medication to the person that he/she self-administers to cause their death

Only physicians and NPs can:

  • determine who is eligible for MAiD
  • provide MAiD

As per their scope of practice, RPNs are not permitted to engage in the following activities under any circumstances:

  • determine eligibility
  • provide MAiD

In this section

The nurse's role in MAiD Case study: How do I know if I have a conscientio​us objection?​
FAQs Resources

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Canada

info@bccnm​.ca
604.742.6200​
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We acknowledge the rights and title of the First Nations on whose collective unceded territories encompass the land base colonially known as British Columbia. We give specific thanks to the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking peoples the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh-ulh Sníchim speaking Peoples the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), on whose unceded territories BCCNM’s office is located. We also give thanks for the medicines of these territories and recognize that laws, governance, and health systems tied to these lands and waters have existed here for over 9000 years.

We also acknowledge the unique and distinct rights, including rights to health and wellness, of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples from elsewhere in Canada who now live in British Columbia. As leaders in the settler health system, we acknowledge our responsibilities to these rights under international, national, and provincial law.​