Stacey Hillard
01/14/15
Nursing Roles I
Professor Rodgers
Assisted Suicide: Right or Wrong? The article I selected is called Assisted Suicide: Right or Wrong? By: Claire Andre and Manuel Velasquez. This article talked about a researcher named Matthew Donnely. For over 30 years Matthew conducted research on x-rays. Matthew was diagnosed with a terminal skin cancer. During his battle with cancer he had lost his nose, his left hand, two fingers on his right hand and part of his jaw (Andre & Velasquez). Matthew’s condition was worsening. His body was deteriorating and he was in constant pain. Many days he lay in bed with his fist bald and teeth clenched from the pain (Andre & Velasquez). Matthew pleaded with his physicians to assist him in ending his suffering. The physicians refused.
1. Explain how you would decide if you were in the same situation.
If I were the physician in this situation, I would have also refused to assist in physician assisted suicide. Instead I would have provided the patient with comfort until the end. A physician has a responsibility to care for patients regardless if recovery is impossible. It is the physician’s responsibility to respond to the needs of the patient and to attempt to make the patient as comfortable as possible. A physician takes an oath of non-malfeasance which means to do no harm.
2. What values are reflected in your decisions?
As a human first with Christian beliefs, physician assisted suicide would be a moral issue for me. It is
Physician Assisted Suicide Is it Right or Wrong? The ethical issues of physician-assisted suicide are both emotional and controversial, as it ranks right up there with abortion. Some argue physician assisted suicide is ethically permissible for a dying person who has choosing to escape the unbearable suffering at the end of life. Furthermore, it is the physician’s duty to alleviate the patients suffering, which at times justifies providing aid-in -dying. These arguments rely a great deal on the respect for individual autonomy, which recognizes the rights of competent people to choose the timing and manner of their death, when faced with terminal illness.
Should Physician Assisted Suicide be allowed in all of the United States? That is the topic I will be discussing in my paper. Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS), also known as the Die with Dignity Law, can be legally done in five U.S. states. This is a very controversial subject and can get heated in both arguments. People who are against it feel that choosing to end one’s life, even with the aid of a physician, to be disturbing and unethical. Religion also plays a big role, as this practice would go against many religious beliefs. Some are also scared that if it does become a law, that the politics of it will not care about the patient anymore but by how much money the government could save. There is also the chance that the patient might turn around. Maybe the patient will make a turn around. What about the people who are faced with a terminal disease? Shouldn’t they have that choice? It should at least be an option for someone who is facing a terminal disease, to die with what dignity they have left and to be surrounded by the people that they love, a way to alleviate all the pain and suffering that comes with a terminal illness.
Those opposed to legalizing physician-assisted suicide make credible claims that miracles do happen, doctors and families may be prompted to give up on their patients and loved ones too soon, and that doctors would be given too much power which may lead to corruption or unethical decision making. Activists for the legalization of physician-assisted suicide also make valid points that assisting those who wish to die in doing so would free up time for doctors and nurses to care for those not terminally ill, reduce healthcare costs for families, and allow for organs to be saved and donated to those in need of
In the case of Physician Assisted Suicide, I believe only in certain, extreme, and clearly defined situations should a doctor be allowed to prescribe a drug to terminate a patient’s life. The role of a practicing medical doctor, or a physician, is defined by Mosby’s Dental Dictionary as a practitioner of medicine; one lawfully engaged in the practice of medicine. The essential word in this definition is lawful – physicians must act in a manner that is ethical to their practice and lawful to the country in which they are practicing. In most countries, murder and suicide are unlawful; therefore for a doctor to commit such an
My mind and soul do agree with this argument but my religious beliefs don’t accept assisted suicide. I’ve been working in the critical care unit
The topic of physician-assisted suicide has become very controversial because of the ethical questions. The physical state of health of the patient, the patient’s personal life, and even the financial pressure of the patient are all factors to consider when contemplating whether or not to legalize this controversial cause of death. Physician-assisted suicide regarding medical ethics states that a physician cannot legally give any patient a lethal injection to end their life, but they can take the patient off of life support in order to increase the process of death. Physician-assisted suicide should be legalized at a federal level and should be morally acceptable for patients who are terminally ill and can no longer be treated to improve their medical situation.
4. The physician must fully understand the patient’s struggles and should have established “a meaningful relationship” with the patient (Dixon). Also, alternative treatments should be provided by the doctor anytime during assisted suicide if the patient changes his/her mind.
Now that I’ve demonstrated that my ethical theory can be used to make educated decisions in situations that we can potentially face daily, how does my ethical theory fit with issues of life or death? My ethical theory focuses more on issues that an individual will face in their everyday life. It does not directly deal with issues of life and death; however you can still go through the core concepts to make a decision. For instance, let's take a look at assisted suicide.
Assisted suicide is the suicide of a terminally- ill patient, achieved by using a prescribed drug from a doctor for that specific purpose. It is legal in only six states in the United States of America including: Oregon, Montana, Washington, Colorado, Vermont, and California. Countries such as Germany, Japan, and Switzerland have legalized assisted suicide in past years. It has been disputed for many years and continues to be a controversial issue whether physicians should be authorized to end an individual’s life with their prescription and if this should be done legally.
In today's society, one of the most controversial issues is physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. Many people feel that it is wrong for people, regardless of their health condition, to ask their health care provider to end their life; while others feel it is their right to be able to choose how and when they die. When a physician is asked to help a patient into death, they have many responsibilities that come along with that single question. Among those responsibilities are: providing valid information as to the terminal illness the patient is suffering, educating the patient as to what their final options may be, making the decision of whether or not to help the patient into death, and also if they do decide to help,
Thesis: Physician Assisted Suicide is sometimes misunderstood due to how it is termed, but this is something that needs to be deeply evaluated and legalized in all 50 states.
A woman suffering from cancer became the first person known to die under the law on physician-assisted suicide in the state of Oregon when she took a lethal dose of drugs in March, 1998. The Oregon Death with Dignity Act passed a referendum in November, 1997, and it has been the United States ' only law legalizing assisted suicide since then. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, more than 4,000 doctors have approved of the assisted suicide law (cited in "The Anguish of Doctors,” 1996). The law allows terminally ill patients who have been given six months or less to live and wish to hasten their deaths to obtain medication prescribed by two doctors. The most important thing to notice is that this law does not include those who have been on a life support system nor does it include those who have not voluntarily asked physicians to help them commit suicide. The issue of doctor-assisted suicide has been the subject of the heated dispute in recent years. Many people worry that legalizing doctor assisted suicide is irrational and violates the life-saving tradition of medicine. However, physician-assisted suicide should be legalized because it offers terminally ill people an opportunity for a peaceful death and recognized the inadequacy of current medical practice to deal with death.
The word suicide gives many people negative feelings and is a socially taboo subject. However, suicide might be beneficial to terminally ill patients. Physician- assisted suicide has been one of the most controversial modern topics. Many wonder if it is morally correct to put a terminally ill patient out of their misery. Physicians should be able to meet the requests of their terminally ill patients. Unfortunately, a physician can be doing more harm by keeping someone alive instead of letting them die peacefully. For example, an assisted suicide can bring comfort to patients. These patients are in excruciating pain and will eventually perish. The government should not be involved in such a personal decision. A physician- assisted suicide comes with many benefits for the patient. If a person is terminally ill and wants a physician assisted suicide, then they should receive one.
Religion plays an important role in the issue of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Most of the major world religions are against suicide in all forms, even in the cases of pain and suffering. The Bible says, "Thou shall not kill." This was meant for everyone, not just for specific people. Doctors have the power to save people who are sick and at the end of their lives. They work hard to help people, not kill people. If physicians tell a family there is absolutely no chance for a patient to survive, the family will most likely believe them.
The United States is a nation founded on freedoms and liberties, giving each citizen the ability to make their own life decisions. This freedom includes all aspects of one’s life, including medical care. With freedom comes responsibility, and this is true in terms of physician-assisted suicide. The ongoing struggle between those in favor and those opposed to this subject has ravaged the medical field, bringing into question what is morally and ethically right. The fact of the matter is that physician-assisted suicide is neither morally nor ethically acceptable under any circumstance. Not only is it a direct violation of a doctor’s Hippocratic Oath, but it is not constitutionally binding. Physician-assisted suicide would also lead to