Michael Wilson

Michael Wilson

Adelaide Nursing School

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Michael's research interests currently (2023) focused on the impact of social forces (e.g., law, professions, employers) impact nurses' responses to requests for voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in South Australia. Does Australia's most restrictive VAD law promote gatekeeping in nurses' decisions to support or inhibit a person's request for an assisted death?

Also working with a research team led by Dr Jayne Hewitt and Professor Melissa Bloomer at Griffith University, investigating private healthcare providers' readiness to accommodate VAD law requirements in Queensland.

Past research has surveyed Australian nurses and New Zealand doctors and nurses about their willingness to participate in assisted dying when it becomes legal. Before that, my research interests were in service improvements in mental health, and drug and dietary interventions on metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors.

Since 2016, as voluntary assisted dying was set to become legalised across Australia and New Zealand, my research has focused on clinicians' willingness to participate and the psychosocial factors linking attitude toward the practice with intentions to participate.  Currently working on a systematic review of literature on healthcare access for people seeking medically assisted dying and clinicians participation in that service.  Also working with a team at UniSA on a scoping review of workplace flexibility to identify a workable definition of locational flexibility, often described as 'work from anywhere'.

Prior to my PhD my career had been in mental health nursing where I was an active practitioner-researcher in MH service delivery, including the use of sensory approaches to manage aggression and reduce coercion of people using MH services.

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2025 Hewitt, J., Wilson, M., Bloomer, M. J., Rennie, C., & Bonner, A. (2025). Promoting access to voluntary assisted dying: an interpretivist exploratory study of health services in Queensland, Australia. Australian Health Review A Publication of the Australian Hospital Association, 49(3), 8 pages.
    DOI
    2024 Oliver, P., Wilson, M., McLaren, C., & Jonquiere, R. (2024). Providing Legal Assisted Dying and Euthanasia Services in a Global Pandemic: Lessons for Ensuring Service Continuity. Omega United States, 89(3), 1253-1272.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC3
    2024 Hewitt, J., Wilson, M., Bonner, A., & Bloomer, M. J. (2024). Factors That Influence Access to Medical Assistance in Dying Services: An Integrative Review. Health Expectations, 27(5), 15 pages.
    DOI Scopus1 Europe PMC1
    2021 Wilson, M., Wilson, M., Edwards, S., Cusack, L., & Wiechula, R. (2021). Role of attitude in nurses' responses to requests for assisted dying.. Nursing ethics, 28(5), 670-686.
    DOI Scopus11 WoS4 Europe PMC7
    2021 Wilson, M., Ostroff, C., Wilson, M. E., Wiechula, R., & Cusack, L. (2021). Profiles of intended responses to requests for assisted dying: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 124, 104069.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS1 Europe PMC3
    2020 Wilson, M. R., Wiechula, R., Cusack, L., & Wilson, M. (2020). Nurses' intentions to respond to requests for legal assisted dying: a Q-methodological study.. J Adv Nurs, 76(2), 642-653.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS2 Europe PMC3
    2019 Wilson, M. R., Oliver, P., & Malpas, P. (2019). Nurses’ views on legalising assisted dying in New Zealand: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 89, 116-124.
    DOI Scopus12 WoS9 Europe PMC7
    2017 Oliver, P., & Malpas, P. (2017). New Zealand doctors’ and nurses’ views on legalising assisted dying in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 130(1456).
    2014 Byrne, L., Wilson, M., Burke, K. J., Gaskin, C. J., & Happell, B. (2014). Mental health service delivery: a profile of mental health non-government organisations in south-east Queensland, Australia. AUSTRALIAN HEALTH REVIEW, 38(2), 202-207.
    DOI WoS1
    2013 Sutton, D., Wilson, M., Van Kessel, K., & Vanderpyl, J. (2013). Optimizing arousal to manage aggression: A pilot study of sensory modulation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, 22(6), 500-511.
    DOI WoS46 Europe PMC25
    2012 Stewart, M. W., Wilson, M., Bergquist, K., & Thorburn, J. (2012). Care coordinators: A controlled evaluation of an inpatient mental health service innovation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, 21(1), 82-91.
    DOI WoS8 Europe PMC8
    2012 Stewart, M. W., Wilson, M., Bergquist, K., & Thorburn, J. (2012). Care coordinators: A controlled evaluation of an inpatient mental health service innovation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, 21(1), 82-91.
    DOI WoS8 Europe PMC8
    1996 Swinburn, B. A., Carmichael, H. E., & Wilson, M. R. (1996). Dexfenfluramine as an adjunct to a reduced-fat, ad libitum diet: Effects on body composition, nutrient intake and cardiovascular risk factors. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY, 20(11), 1033-1040.
    WoS14 Europe PMC11

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Member Voluntary Assisted Dying : Education and Training Work Group South Australia Health Australia
    2022 - ongoing Member Voluntary Assisted Dying: Clinical Guidelines Working Group SA Health Australia
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