NURS501_DiscussionEndOfLife_week3

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Liberty University *

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501

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Medicine

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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This week’s discussion topic has proven to be an enlightening experience through research regarding the Christian and Secular worldviews and how they relate to medical aid in dying. The information gained is invaluable to my nursing career and to my current position as an oncology infusion nurse. 1. Offer an overview of the ANA White Paper provided in the Learn folder. The purpose of the ANA White Paper Position Statement is to address the nursing code of ethics, scope of practice, and the nurse’s ability to use a moral and ethical decision- making process related to a terminally ill patient’s request for medical aid in dying. Medical aid in dying refers to a patient self-administering a medication prescribed by a provider that will cause death. The position statement does not concede, dispute, or place judgment on a patient’s request for aid in dying; it simply protects the nurse’s decision to continue caring for the patient with compassion and empathy without participating in the action of “aid in dying”. The statement acknowledges that nurses are an integral part of end-of-life care and that we can offer supportive services such as palliative and hospice referrals. (ANA Center for Ethics and Human Rights, 2019). As nurses, we need to understand our state laws on medical aid in dying as many states have no legislation in place. In South Carolina, it is illegal for healthcare providers to participate in “aid in dying”; if found guilty, the provider can face felony charges, have their healthcare license revoked, be sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison, and/or fined up to one hundred thousand dollars (SC Code of Laws, n.d.). A Living Will or Healthcare Power of Attorney can address a patient’s end-of-life wishes such as no ventilators, tube feedings, or CPR, and those requests can be honored by the medical team (Gillespie, 2022). 2. Answer the following questions:  o Where does the Christian Worldview clash with that of the Secular Humanistic Worldview (or other religious worldviews)? The Christian Worldview acknowledges that God is the Omnipotent Creator of all people and things. Christians use The Holy Bible as a source of guidance and commandments to live a purposeful life in service to others. Christians believe God is love, and therefore, we should love others as a moral responsibility to humanity. God has a specific purpose for everyone in this earthly life allowing free will of eternal salvation in Heaven. His greatest commandment according to Luke 10:27 is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind…Love your neighbor as yourself” (New Living Translation, 2015). The Secular Humanistic Worldview believes there is no God, no Creator, and that man simply exists by happenstance. The Humanistic Worldview indicates that man has no authoritative figure or accountability, and that fate is determined by
our choices. The Secular worldview believes there is no divine purpose in life and no eternal life after death. o Does the ANA White Paper support a Christian Worldview, the Secular Humanistic Worldview, or another religious worldview? In the opinion of this nurse, the ANA White Paper supports a Christian Worldview as it aligns with the nursing code of ethics and scope of practice. While the ANA White Paper does not reference God specifically, it does indicate the importance of treating others with respect and compassion in a non-judgmental way which mirrors the parable of the Good Samaritan in the Bible. o The term "euthanasia" has been replaced with the phrase "aid in dying" in this most recent white paper. It has been said that "he who controls the language controls the masses". How does this apply to the choice of terms in this white paper? According to research, the term “euthanasia” refers to a healthcare provider administering a life-ending medication to a terminally ill patient, but “aid in dying” refers to the patient self-administering said medication. Another term that has been used in past statements is “assisted suicide”. Even though the outcome is the same in these situations, changing the words and phrases makes it seem “more acceptable” to a secular humanistic worldview. 3. Apply the Christian Worldview and the Secular Humanistic Worldview (or other religious worldviews) to the case study. A Secular worldview in this case study would validate the patient’s request to die due to the insufferable pain from her terminal illness. It would indicate the patient’s moral and ethical standards are limited to self-service with little thought to an afterlife. A Christian worldview would encourage the patient to seek purpose in her life even if only for a short time. She would acknowledge that God is her Creator and He determines the number of our days in this world before eternal life. o How do you respond? How does your response show your worldview? As an oncology nurse, my experience with stage IV metastatic breast cancer would likely indicate this patient has limited time left with her family. My priority in caring for this patient would be from a Christian Worldview standpoint to show empathy, compassion, and respect. I would inform her that ending her life is not in God’s divine plan and remind her that her husband and children would not want her life to end that way. I would speak with the patient about eternal salvation and provide scripture from John 3:16 stating “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (New Living Translation, 2015).
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