...Voluntary /Physician-Assisted-Suicide (Euthanasia) has been one of the most debated and controversial issues in the healthcare system for decades now. Its practice was not widely supported by healthcare providers because of the need to retain trust in society and their patients at large. It was banned as a practice two thousand years ago, as it was viewed as a murder. Nevertheless, some modern societies no longer see it as a crime, but rather as an individual choice regarding how to end one’s life. Although, euthanasia remains banned in many countries worldwide. The act of euthanasia has adverse ethical implications in nursing, as nurses are prohibited from participating in assisted suicide because it violates the code of ethics for nursing practice (ANA, 2001) which states that a nurse’s ethical goal and obligation is to provide humane and compassionate care to patients and respect their rights. This includes the provision of support to patients and families, ensuring that all options are exhausted to alleviate the pain and suffering associated with death. (ANA, 2010a)....
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...Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma Grand Canyon University Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma Euthanasia is considered “assisted suicide” (Ethical key issues- Euthanasia., 2011). Terminally ill, old age, and poor disease prognosis’s are some population of patients that research euthanasia. Euthanasia is currently illegal due to many ethical implications. Euthanasia is an ongoing ethical dilemma that affects nursing as a profession, has legal implications, and stirs up ethical debates over social values, morals, and norms. “Standard 7, under the heading “Standards of Professional Performance,” reiterates the moral obligation of the nurse to practice ethically and to provide care “in a manner that preserves and protects healthcare consumer autonomy, dignity, rights, values, and beliefs” and “assists healthcare consumers in self determination and informed decision-making”” (ANA position statement, 2013). Nurses in all healthcare related settings play a key role in patient care at end-of –life. Nurses’ care for the physical and spiritual needs of patients and their families while, also collaborating with all members of the interprofessional healthcare team. Nurses witness the devastating effects of life-threatening diseases. It is difficult to balance amongst saving a life and the enabling of a dignified death. Nurses need to keep their own feelings in check because they could have an influence on clinical decision making. “It is within the framework of the Code for Nurses and...
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...Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma, Impact of Voluntary/Assisted Euthanasia Luellen Lawler, Soma Philip, Annamma Anto, and Janice Haddock Team Green, Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Health Care 437 V Dr. Ann Leslie Claesson September 01, 2012 Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma, Impact of Voluntary/Assisted Euthanasia There are several topics in the field of biomedical ethics that are controversial and by nature require careful examination of one’s own values and viewpoints. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of voluntary or assisted euthanasia and the ethical implications it entails in relation to the profession of nursing. Nurses have the responsibility to act in their patient’s best interests. However, that may become difficult in the event that a patient asks for help in the task of ending his or her own life. There were two case scenarios provided for review concerning the topic of voluntary or assisted euthanasia. The common ethical implication among nurses involved in these particular cases seems to be the ambivalence they experience in relation to their level of involvement. Although nurses worldwide are confronted with euthanasia requests from patients, the views of nurses on their level of involvement in euthanasia remains unclear (Dierkx de Casterle, Verpoort, De Bal, & Gastmans, 2006). It stands to reason that palliative care nurses in particular, would have the highest frequency of experience with patients who are...
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...verses Euthanasia The ethical principle of non-malefiecense is the duty to do no harm. This is promoted by doing three interventions. First intervention is avoiding deliberate harm, risk of harm that occurs during the performance of nursing actions. The second intervention is considering the degree of risk permissible. The third intervention is determining whether the use of technological advances provides benefits that outweigh the risks. The ethical principle of beneficence is the doing or active promotion of good. This is done by providing health benefits to the patients, balancing the benefits and risks of harm, and considering how a patient can be best helped. The ethical principle of Justice is the promotion of equity or fairness in every situation a nurse encounters. The two nursing implications that promote justice are ensuring fair allocation of resources, and determining the order in which clients should be treated. ("Ethical Principles," January 2011, p. screen) There are several nursing ethical arguments on Euthanasia. Those that are against mercy killing have the ethical arguments that euthanasia might not be promoting the patient’s best interest, accepting that it means acknowledging that some people are more important than others, weakening the society’s respect for the holiness of life, and arguing that if voluntary euthanasia were to become legal nationwide, then most probably involuntary euthanasia will be committed at a higher level. The ethical arguments...
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...Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma Part 1 Grand Canyon University April 26, 2013 Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma Part 1 Voluntary and assisted euthanasia have been and will continue to be one of the most controversial ethical debates in the medical field. Euthanasia stems from the Greek language: eu meaning good and thanatos meaning death. The practice of voluntary euthanasia is when the patient requests to die but someone else has to perform the act, for example removing the patient from all life-sustaining equipment or giving a lethal injection. Where as the definition of assisted suicide is a physician prescribes a lethal dose of medication and the patient on his or her own will have to perform the act of consuming the medication to cause death. There are many ethical implications that arise from either option. “In the balance are crucial issues: personal autonomy, dignity, compassion, ending suffering, protection of the vulnerable, promotion of good palliative care, and redefinition of the role of the physician in death and dying” (Van Norman, (2012). It is imperative for nurses to be conscious of their obligations professionally, educated on the laws surrounding the issue, who the stakeholders involved are, the impact on social values/morals, and the ethical theories and principals involved. Nursing Obligation According to the American Nurses Association nurses are never allowed to have any part in euthanasia, such actions would be a direct violation of the...
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...Research Paper Topic Issue Statement: What are the moral, ethical, and legal implications associated with end of life care for individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia? Sources: I will use a variety of articles, case law, and relevant statutes and regulations that deal specifically with end-of-life care. Sources I have already located: * Late stage and end-of-life care: Caregiving in the Final Stages of Life * http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_disease_dementia_caring_final_stage.htm * A Christian Response to “End-of-Life” Decisions By Bert Thompson, Ph.D and Brad Harrub, Ph.D * http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=7&article=58 * Decision Making at the end of life: Patients with Alzheimer’s or other dementias * http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm/ref/collection/uspace/id/3461 * Ethics Conflicts in Rural Communities: End-of-Life decision-making * Taken from the Handbook for Rural Health Care Ethics: A Practical Guide for Professionals (PDF Download) * The Euthanasia Debate: Understanding the Issues * From the Christian Research Journal * Euthanasia Arguments-Christian Research Institute * http://www.equip.org/articles/euthanasia-arguments/ * Views on Euthanasia * http://www.equip.org/articles/views-on-euthanasia/ * Active and passive euthanasia * http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/euthanasia/overview/activepassive_1.shtml * Topic in General:...
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...The Ethics of Euthanasia The ethical nature of euthanasia, or assisted suicide, in the United States has been contested for decades, which brings about the proliferation of biomedical morality. According to the New Health Guide, as of June 2015, euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia and Luxembourg. Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Albania and in American states of Washington, Oregon, Vermont, New Mexico and Montana. Because euthanasia is not legal throughout the United States, there is a divisive public controversy over the moral, ethical, and legal ramifications. In order to establish a clear understanding of these issues, I will define the terms in question and provide an all-encompassing interpretation. There are only slight differences between euthanasia and assisted suicide, and that is a disparity in the degree of involvement and behavior. Assisted suicide entails making the lethal mechanism available to the patient to be used at a time of the patient’s own choosing. By contrast, euthanasia entails the physician taking an active role in carrying out the patient’s request, and usually involves endovenous, or within a vein, delivery of a lethal substance. For the sake of this paper, I will consider both of them equal issues in the bioethical paradigm, and use them interchangeably. The objective of this paper is to outline two ethical theories, utilitarianism and Kantianism, in regards to the concept of euthanasia and bring about...
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...“Duty over a Right: Euthanasia Weighed” “Duty over a Right: Euthanasia Weighed” Euthanasia is a highly emotive and contentious subject, giving rise to a great deal of conflicts. However, despite its frequent exposure in public and professional media, there appears to be a lack of clarity about the concepts and definitions used in the euthanasia controversy. This suggests that discussions on this subject are inadequately informed and ineffectual. The ethical focus of the euthanasia issue concerns the moral legitimacy of ‘voluntary euthanasia.’ Euthanasia is a deliberate intervention or omission with the express intention of hastening or ending an individual’s life, to relieve intractable pain or suffering. As per the given problem of a 60 year old patient with stage 4 cancer asking for euthanasia, I would choose to be the lawyer of the doctor who refuses to perform euthanasia. ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS My client’s refusal of performing euthanasia is primarily because the act itself is against the principles of Beneficence, Nonmaleficence and Life Preservation. By virtue of the Principle of Beneficence, one should act to further the welfare and benefits of another and to prevent evil or harm to that person. Also, the Principle of Nonmaleficence provides that one should refrain from inflicting harm or unduly risking the infliction of harm on another. Lastly, we have a moral duty to protect and preserve human life whenever possible as within the context of life preservation...
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...Euthanasia and Ethical Implications Thereof Euthanasia according to the medical dictionary is the act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy and/or allowing said person to die by taking less than complete medical measures to prolong life. This type of act is also known as mercy killing or assisted suicide. Individuals who have reached the point when they feel they have no other options have often chosen to look into euthanasia as a way out. Families who see their loved one suffering have approached heath care professionals to act on their behalf and end the pain by euthanizing them. Each instance creates an ethical dilemma for the individual, the health care provider, the family, and other loved ones. Nursing Obligations According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), Nurses are not expected to participate in active euthanasia, as this violates the nurses’ code of ethics. As nurses we have the obligation to provide timely, humane, comprehensive, and compassionate end-of-life care (ANA, 1985). The code for nurses affirms that respect for persons “extends to all who require the services of the nurse for the promotion of health, the prevention of illness, the restoration of health, the alleviation of suffering and provision of supportive care of the dying. The nurse does not act deliberately to terminate life of any person” (ANA, 1985). However, ANA recognizes the patients’ right to self-determination...
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...Collaborative Learning Community: Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma Collaborative Learning Community: Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma (Part 1) In your CLC group, select one of the following three options and view the video related to your chosen topic (a description of each is provided along with a link to access the electronic media): Dilemma 1: Embryo Harvesting and Freezing/Genetic Manipulation (Posthumous Conception Case) Ethical issues related to case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIenB7qgIVk Washington Post article of Karen Capato Case: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-03-19/politics/35450022_1_karen-capato-robert-capato-survivor-benefitsUS Supreme Court (2011) Ruling on Capato Case: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-159.pdf Description: Eighteen months after her husband, Robert Capato, died of cancer, respondent Karen Capato gave birth to twins conceived through in-vitro fertilization using her husband’s frozen sperm. Should technology be used to create live posthumously? Dilemma 2: Marketing of Medical / Pharmaceutical Products Holding Back the Years? The Race to Slow the Aging Process http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://digital.films.com.library.gcu.edu:2048/PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=12129&xtid=36189 While medical treatments and pharmaceuticals are common approaches to address a wide variety of conditions, there is growing concern from consumer groups and the medical community regarding current marketing practices which...
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...Euthanasia Euthanasia - Deep sympathy for the suffering Introduction Euthanasia is the deliberate killing either by omission or commission of a dependent person for their benefit. Arguments against euthanasia claim that the concern for happiness and human life and not their obliteration is the objective of any good governance. They say that the terminally ill are people who require protection from social, economic and family pressures, and who are particularly prone to this pressure as a result of chronic depression, pain and effects of continued medication. Arguments for euthanasia say it is impossible to maintain quality of life if a patient is dead. While there have been massive arguments, debates and campaigns against euthanasia, this paper will seek to support euthanasia because of the moral issues that relate to the topic. This paper supports that when a personal is physically dead, the only reason anybody wishes to keep them alive is for their selfish clinging onto them with the hope of a miracle and the fear of closure without regard to the wishes of the person. It supports the practice of euthanasia and seeks to evaluate the reasons why euthanasia should be legalized. This paper will have a general audience because of the controversy that it sparks every time it comes up Death is a dreaded subject for all human beings because it signifies leaving the known to go to the unknown. This is the reason why by its nature euthanasia is a hugely hushed up topic...
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...Despite so, there are still groups of people who are apprehensive about legalizing euthanasia as they are worried that it may have negative implications. The article gives a detailed description of the requirements that must be met before a person is allowed to go through with assisted suicide. It also uses data to prove that safety measures put in place are being followed and there is barely any abuse of the law in places that legalize assisted suicide. Although voluntary euthanasia is still considered as murder, many doctors in Europe give patients or their family the choice of proceeding with treatment or undergoing passive euthanasia. The article also talks about the possible reasons why people opt for assisted suicide, including loss of independence, dignity, and more. The use of statistics shows that substantial research has been done by the author to prove his point, confirming it is a good source to support the legalization of assisted suicide. As “The Economist” is a reputable magazine, this source is credible and is unlikely to publish articles without prior research. Cassity, S. A. (2009). To Die or Not To Die: The History and Future of Assisted Suicide Laws in the U.S. Utah Law Review, 2009 (2), 515-523. The journal looks into the history of laws related to assisted suicide and its possible future in the United States. It makes a clear distinction between assisted suicide and euthanasia by explaining the methods used in each type to end the life of another. It also...
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...University Press 0521804167 - Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy: An Argument Against Legalisation John Keown Frontmatter More information EUTHANASIA, ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY An Argument against Legalisation Whether the law should permit voluntary euthanasia or physicianassisted suicide is one of the most vital questions facing all modern societies. Internationally, the main obstacle to legalisation has proved to be the objection that, even if they were morally acceptable in certain hard cases, voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide could not be effectively controlled; society would slide down a slippery slope to the killing of patients who did not make a free and informed request, or for whom palliative care would have offered an alternative. How cogent is this objection? This book provides the general reader (who need have no expertise in philosophy, law or medicine) with a lucid introduction to this central question in the debate, not least by reviewing the Dutch euthanasia experience. It will interest readers in any country, whether for or against legalisation, who wish to ensure that their opinions are better informed. john keown is Senior Lecturer in the Law and Ethics of Medicine, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. His previous publications include Abortion, Doctors and the Law (1988) and Euthanasia Examined (1995). © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521804167 - Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy:...
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...of life. However, the ethical issue we have taken up is about death which is induced before time. The background setting for our live case is the very debatable issue of “Euthanasia”. Literally, euthanasia means “Good Death” (Greek: eu = good, thanatos = death). More formally, euthanasia means the intentional act or practice of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from an incurable and distressing disease as an act of mercy, which is not necessarily at the request of the patient. Forms of Euthanasia: • Voluntary euthanasia: When the patient has requested the death. • Non-voluntary: When the patient has not made any request and gave no consent. • Assisted suicide: Someone provides an individual with the information, guidance, and means to take his or her own life with the intention that they will be used for this purpose. When it is a doctor who helps another person to kill themselves it is called "physician assisted suicide." • Euthanasia by Action: Intentionally causing a person's death by performing an action such as by giving a lethal injection. • Euthanasia by Omission: Intentionally causing death by not providing necessary and ordinary (usual and customary) care or food and water. Euthanasia evokes a mixed reaction among people who come across it. For some, it is unimaginable to end a human life and yet some think it is justified to end a life which is not worth of dignity. There are several moral and ethical issues concerning this...
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...Euthanasia is a word coined from the Greek language, Eu meaning good or noble; Thanatos meaning death, in the seventeenth century by Francis Bacon to refer to an easy, painless, happy death. (Singer) Within euthanasia, there are two types. Active and passive. Active euthanasia occurs when a medical professional or another person deliberately does something to cause the death of a patient. Passive euthanasia occurs when a medical professional either stops doing something that is keeping a patient alive or they don’t do something necessary to keep a patient alive. Like switching off life support or disconnecting a feeding tube. A term that is commonly confused, but is similar to euthanasia, is physician assisted suicide. Although the results and reasoning’s behind each type of death is the same, they differ in the way that the death is administered. In euthanasia, the physician performs the intervention. Usually with a lethal dose of a powerful drug such as morphine or Pentobarbital. During physician assisted suicide, the drug, and means of delivery, are given to the patient by the physician. However, the patient accomplishes the act of injection. Leading to his or her own death (A General History Of Euthanasia) The first time euthanasia was reported on record was around 400BC by Suetonius, a Roman historian, while describing the death of Augustus Caesar. Although the actions of an easy, painless death have been used on hopeless patients since ancient times, these acts have been...
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