A nurse who participates in helping a patient to kill himself is violating ''the ethical premise of the profession,'' says a statement released by the association last month.

"We recognize the public's concerns and fears about end-of-life issues, but we do not believe that physician-assisted suicide is the answer to rightful demands for improved care,'' the statement says. ''We believe our focus needs to be improvement of end-of-life care.''

The South Burlington-based nurses association has 350 members and sends a newsletter to 9,000 nurses, said Executive Director Margaret Sharpe, a registered nurse.

Past advocacy activities have involved issues such as nursing education and the state's use of money obtained through a legal settlement with tobacco companies. The organization represents all the nurses' professions in Vermont, ''educators, hospital staff nurses, home health nurses and more,'' Sharpe said.

The nurses group joins other Vermont health organizations with positions on assisted suicide, including the Vermont Center for Independent Living, which provides services and advocacy for people with disabilities, and the Vermont Medical Society, which represents 1,400 of the 2,800 doctors licensed in the state.

Bills for and against physicians' having the option of writing a fatal prescription to a terminal patient are before the Legislature. A legalization proposal modeled after Oregon's assisted suicide law has 40 sponsors in the House.

Sharpe said the nurses association had debated the issue since July before coming to a conclusion and the policy did not have unanimous support.

"There will be a lot of nurses with a different opinion,'' she said, ''but with this position statement, it will be really easy for us to testify'' before lawmakers.

Much of the statement describes the kind of care dying patients deserve, from pain relief to the right to refuse treatment, from help writing advance instructions about what care they want at the end to aid with ''spiritual distress.''

"We need to address these areas before we devote a lot of time and money'' to assisted suicide, Sharpe said. Good end-of-life care ''needs to be in place for everyone first.''

"The focus on physician-assisted suicide distracts attention and resources from the real work of helping our patients live meaningful lives in their final days,'' the association's statement says.

Contact Stephen Kiernan at 660-1861 or skiernan@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com

Other views

The positions of other organizations:

IN FAVOR: Death with Dignity, End of Life Choices

OPPOSED: Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare, Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vermont Center for Independent Living

OPPOSED TO ANY LAW, FOR OR AGAINST ASSISTED SUICIDE: Vermont Medical Society

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