Physician Assisted Suicide Chapter Summary

Physician-assisted suicide should be legal nationwide. As a former hospital employee, I know first-hand that some diseases can cause so much disability and pain that patients want to end their lives because they have had enough. Something dear to me is personal autonomy, a right of all people. If the patient is competent and wants to end their life, and a health care provider is willing to humanely help end that patient's life, then physician-assisted suicide should be legal and be performed, per the individual's wishes.

Abstract: This paper discusses the medical ethics of Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS). Focusing on the ideas of legal vs illegal, the different views of PAS will both be addressed. While active euthanasia is illegal, passive euthanasia, or allowing natural death, is completely legal everywhere. PAS will help patients end suffering for themselves at the end of their lives, as well as the family's. The price of the drug may be expensive but the price of medical treatments continues to rise. The Hippocratic Oath does not support the aid in ending a life, however it has been changed in the past. Many citizens are afraid that is PAS was considered legal, it would grow into something even more illegal being debated. Also, the religious aspect of the end of life had conflicting views as some believe PAS is ending suffering, a good deed, and other believe PAS is not respecting a human life. PAS is only legal in seven states but has gained the attention of many others and other places around the world.

According to Paul J. van der Wal et al. in ¨Euthanasia, Physician-Assisted Suicide, and Other Medical Practices Involving the End of Life in the Netherlands, 1990–1995¨, he addresses that assisted suicide should be legal and regulated. The authors’ purpose of writing this journal article is to make reliable estimates of euthanasia; to describe patients and physicians, and to evaluate changes between 1990 and 1995. Even though assisted suicide is a growing taboo, it is being practiced more each and every day. Paul J. van der Wal et al. chose to conduct two studies to answer their hypotheses.

Finley, Ilora. “Personal View – Ilora Finley.” The Economist. 22 June 2015. Web. 21 Nov 2016.

"Who Owns the Right to Die?", authored by Miranda Barbuzzi, lays out an argument about the legal status of euthanasia and assisted suicide in Canada. Barbuzzi pulls the reader in by examining the controversial and long-contentious topic of assisted suicide and euthanasia. She does this by exploring primarily ethos (ethical/moral aspects), pathos, and logos (logical arguments) through current court findings and appeals in the Canadian court system. She further explores the legal issues through the Netherlands that aids to the authors credibility and further defines her argument. The article compels the reader to absorb and weigh her findings.

Physician-assisted suicide is a personal, divisive, and greatly debated issue in the United States of America. The contentious nature of physician-assisted suicide makes it ideal to be solved by a national referendum. The American Medical Association defines physician-assisted suicide as “when a physician facilitates a patient’s death by providing the necessary means and/ or information to enable the patient to perform the life ending act.” Only four states in the United States of America have legalized physician-assisted suicide; however, a recent Gallup poll showed that fifty-one percent of Americans supported legalizing physician-assisted suicide. The distinct divisions among the American public on whether or not physician-assisted suicide

The thing that kept Steven going was the thought that Jeffrey having cancer was going to be a mistake. During Jeffrey’s stay at the Philadelphia Children's hospital Steven was kept unnotified of how Jeffrey was doing. Apart of that he was getting no attention whatsoever from either of his parents. Steven felt forgotten and this brought anger. Through journals from Miss Palma’s class he wrote about how nobody had thought about how he was feeling about this situation. However when Jeffrey and his mother returned from Philadelphia Steven learned that the thoughts he had was wrong.

Recent decriminalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide has brought the subject back to the fore front of many professional nurses practice. There is little research involving the professional nurse and how often they are asked to be a resource to patients seeking this specific end of life care. The current standards of practice in states where Physician-Assisted Suicide leaves many questions in the professional nurses mind of what their role is in this type of care. There is a gap in the current education and resources available for the professional nurse to navigate this sensitive topic with confidence. The need to fill this gap in education

Although it is almost self explanatory, being a procedure where an assistant or physician ends or terminates one's life, and a prescribed medication is given, can define an assisted suicide. Commonly, but not always, one is diagnosed with a disease or sickness that can no longer be dealt with. Refusing to take the natural path some believe God has planned for those who believe, but can no longer bear the pain, they come to the idea of assisted suicide. Physician assisted suicide shall give people not only the right to be treated equally or the right to die in a healthy, and happier way but shall additionally give them the right to determine when and where they die.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, assisted suicide is “...suicide effected with the assistance of another person, especially the taking of lethal drugs provided by a doctor for the purpose by a patient suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition.” Assisted suicide for the terminally ill should be legalized in all fifty states, considering it gives the person control over their life, ends their family’s suffering and assures that the patient will have access over their unalienable rights.

Physician-assisted suicide better known as (PAS), is the willing intentional termination of a person’s life with the assistance of a physician. There has been much controversy over moral and ethical concerns regarding physician assisted suicide and whether or not it’s use in medical practice is considered ethical and right. This type of medical practice is becoming a great concern to hundreds of people. The question being asked is: should we allow and provide people the right of physician-assisted suicide?

People who die of a prolonged illness or had a predictable steady decline due to a condition like heart disease, diabetes, or Alzheimer’s disease account for ninety percent of deaths each year (Girsh 45). Most of the people who died suffered greatly because of their disease. However, if euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide was legal, the suffering could have been severely lessened. People who oppose both options have many reasons why euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide should not be legal. The Hippocratic Oath, the fear they could be abused by the poor, Nazi-styled teachings might return, or people may feel coerced, and the right to die is not an actual right are a few examples of what the people who oppose euthanasia or physician-assisted

This case study discusses the moral problems associated with physician-assisted suicide. The Catholic Church is apposed to such euthanasia because it transgresses God's commandment not to kill innocent life, it usurps God's sovereignty over human lives, and it violates obligations to serve others and the common good (Pg. 318). I can understand why the Catholic Church would be apposed to physician-assissted suicide, however I do not take this position. I support Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. Statistics show only a very small percent of patients, 0.132 percent, chose to end their life with euthanasia under this law between 1998 and 2010. Although Christians view such a suicide equally as wrong as murder, these beliefs are not shared by all

People who reach the requirements of the death with dignity laws, should have the right to end their own life quickly. Right now, only six states have legalized PAS (Physician-Assisted Suicide). The other 44 states are holding back the right for people with terminal illness, or people suffering from pain to die peacefully. Not giving a legal pathway for people to die, can lead to patients into committing suicide which is a more stressful way for their family. People should have the right to end their lives if they are in pain.

The investigators used a trained research nurse to be the interviewer that did not directly treat any of the patients previously. The approach was to interview terminally ill cancer patients versus most research studies that only considered a physician’s insight and perspective. This is a unique and interesting twist on one what undoubtedly has to be one of the most difficult situations anyone could encounter. The participants ranged across various cancer diagnosis’s, however, all were terminal. Having a personal interview versus completing only a survey going to create a better opportunity to truly feel the patient’s perspective or attitude towards euthanasia.