In 2005, the American Counseling Association (ACA) introduced a new ethical standard for counselors working with clients with terminal illness who are considering hastened death options. The authors' purpose is to inform counselors of the Death With Dignity Act and explore relevant ethical guidelines in the "ACA Code of Ethics" (ACA, 2005).

End-of-life care is continuously becoming an issue of paramount importance given an increase in medical advances, the aging of the population, and the movement toward contributing toward a quality of life among terminally ill patients. However, there is a dearth in literature related to this topic specifically in terms of preparing counselors to…

This study sought to identify from the literature the type of preparation nurse practitioners receive and the practices they use in the care of terminally ill patients as well as to determine from a study of five practitioners in rural health clinics in Mississippi their perception of their training, their philosophy, and the strategies they use…