Euthanasia And Physician Assisted Suicide

However, there is immense criticism on the morality of the process, especially because the process denies a patient the right to natural death. The critics of the assisted suicide procedure argue that such a process devalues human life and tends to promote suicide as an alternative to personal suffering. By claiming that the procedure allows terminally ill patients to initiate dignity at death is flawed because the purpose of medical profession is to ensure a dignified life. According to the physicians’ code of ethics and the Hippocratic Oath, physicians are not allowed to do harm to their patients because their role is to allow a dignified health for members of the community. Consequently, legalization of Physician Assisted suicide that requires physicians to assist the patients to die is against their medical ethics. Quill, Cassel, & Meier (2010) provide that although the patients voluntarily ask the medical practitioners to assist in the process, the practitioners have a role to advise the patients against such a procedure. Besides, such a premise is bound to raise awareness of suicide as an alternative to suffering within the public domain, which may encourage such behavior among healthy members of the community that feel that they enjoy the freedom to make such a decision. On this basis, the negative moral implication of assisted suicide makes its legalization unworthy in the

There are multiple types of physician assisted suicide. Collectively, they fall under the categories: active or passive euthanasia. Active euthanasia is when someone steps in and deliberately ends a life. An example of this would be a physician administering a lethal dose of muscle relaxants to end the life of a patient. Passive euthanasia is best described as when a patient withdraws from a life preserving treatment. Euthanasia in general can also be classified as either voluntary, non-voluntary, and involuntary. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person makes the conscious decision to end his or her life. Non-voluntary euthanasia is when a person is unable to give their consent, and another person makes this decision on their behalf. This usually is the case for patients who are in a coma who have previously expressed this wish. Involuntary euthanasia is when a person is killed against their wishes. Involuntary euthanasia is almost always considered

Physician-assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia is still under scrutiny for a number of reasons. “In spring, 1996, the Ninth and Second Circuits were the first circuit courts in the country to find a constitutional prohibition against laws which make physician-assisted suicide a crime” (Martyn & Bourguignon, 1997). New York was one of the states that followed this prohibition. Eventually, The Ninth and Second Circuit, “allow physician-assisted suicide while attempting to protect individuals from unacceptable harms, such as involuntary euthanasia” (Martyn & Bourguignon, 1997). An assumption can be made, that euthanasia involves a licensed physician to play an active role in this partaking, and it’s where the patient prepares to die at.

Ezekiel Emanuel once said, “Physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia have been profound ethical issues confronting doctors since the birth of Western medicine, more than 2,000 years ago.” Physician assisted suicide (PAS) should be available as a dignified option for the terminally ill because it can be built in to the palliative care plan formulated by patient and Doctor, may alleviate some medical costs for the incurable, and it’s a moderated and humane way to end a person’s suffering.

There is so much controversy about physician assisted suicide. There is even controversy about the wording itself. Some call it physician assisted suicide, while others refuse to use the word suicide at all, in correlation to the meaning of this subject, which I will discuss later. There are a few different ways to say it, but all mean basically the exact same thing; death with dignity, end of life option, aid in dying, and the right to die. No one wants to die. But the harsh reality is that when a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it is a life changing diagnosis, literally. No one likes the idea of dying, no matter how it is phrased, maybe the reason it is so terrifying is none of us have ever died before to talk about it,

Physicians Assisted Death, is a death made possible when a physician, provides a terminally ill patient with the appropriate means to terminate their life. In other words, the patient commits the death causing act (Class notes, 10/19). Though Physicians Assisted Death and euthanasia ultimately result in the same ending they are different. euthanasia is a death made possible when a patient who is unable to commit the death causing act by themselves, grants a physician the right to terminate a their life. Thus, the physician administers the lethal drugs. That difference plays a critical role in the legalization of physician assisted death and euthanasia. Currently there are several arguments for and against the legalization of physician assisted death and euthanasia.

Death is an uncomfortable subject to talk about for most people. They're afraid for what lies after death, whether that be Heaven, Hell, or nothing; It all depends on your views. But one of the least talked about ways of dying is Physician Assisted Suicide. Only four states offer Physician Assisted Suicide: Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the latest to allow is California. There are those who don't agree with this route of death but there are those who support it. I'm here to tell you that this is a acceptable route of dying. This paper will support one's right to die by Physician Assisted Suicide. The key points we'll cover is one's eligibility to death with dignity, exhausting all other care options, and lastly the obtaining and ingesting

(Hallock 1). This decision helps the patient to accept the dying process, knowing that it is not out

Thesis: Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia ethical issues from the prospective of health care professionals and ethicists on both sides of the debate holding implications for the practices of critical care.

There are three widely known types or methods of euthanasia, these are active voluntary euthanasia (AVE), physician-assisted suicide (PAS), and passive euthanasia, which is also known as withdrawal. These three acts, though all resulting in the same things, are quite different. Active euthanasia is a premeditated deed that results in death. Passive euthanasia is also a premeditated deed, however in this scenario, the death happens in order to evade an extended life in pain. In physician assisted suicide the doctor does not execute the patient, he simply provides the measure for which the death requires in which the patient ends their life. This is necessary and due to the fact that many doctors were being convicted and imprisoned for murdering

The purpose of documents such as the constitution and the bill of rights were created to provide people with freedom and rights. In the United States for example, we are granted certain freedoms such as free speech and the right to bear arms. Legalizing Physician's Assisted Suicide is just another right that people should have so that they may have the freedom to make their own choice when facing death. While I feel that no one should be pressured into assisted dying, I also feel that no one should be categorically denied that right. The right to die should be a fundamental freedom for every person, as The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “No state shall make or encore any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities

Physician assisted suicide (PAS) is a heavily debated topic; people have very strong opinions about whether or not people should have to right to die. People taking their own lives is something quite frowned upon in our society, usually those who commit suicide are depressed and need to seek help; people see this a simply being weak, taking the “coward’s way out.” Those who would benefit from PAS would be people with terminal illnesses who have no hope of getting better.

John Key once said “If I had terminal cancer, I had a few weeks to live, I was in tremendous amount of pain - if they just effectively wanted to turn off the switch and legalize that by legalizing euthanasia, I 'd want that” (Brainyquote, web). John Key, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, supports euthanasia. Since Key has been in office, the public support for euthanasia went up 70%. If people are changing around the world, then why are Americans not changing to accept that assisted suicide is morally correct and provides the terminally ill with the right to die with dignity?

Every day, health care provider’s deals with different patients from different parts of the world, with different worldviews that differs from our own; and as nurses, we must understand that many individuals’ spiritual beliefs or religious beliefs play a significant role towards their health recovery. However, for nurses to better take care of our patients we must understand their religious worldviews, their essential needs in all places and times, and how to satisfy their spiritual needs, and provide comfort for the patients. The author of this paper will be analyzing two different religious worldviews: Christianity and Hinduism, their perspectives on Euthanasia or Physician assisted suicide in the case study scenario of George situation.

In the article ¨ Euthanasia, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and Other Medical Practices Involving the End of Life in the Netherlands,1990-1995¨ written Paul J. Van Der Maas, Gerrit Van Der Wal, Ilinka Haverkate, Carmen L.m. De Graaff, John G.c. Kester, Bregje D. Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Agnes Van Der Heide, Jacqueline M. Bosma, and Dick L. Willems in the New England Journal of Medicine talk about the first two nationwide studies of euthanasia cases and physician-assisted suicide, how how many people have took part in it. Even though it's still technically illegal, physician-assisted suicide in cases where patients have euthanasia has become an increasing practice in the Netherlands. In the early 1990's, a nationwide study of euthanasia and other