Physician Assisted Suicide Physician assisted suicide is a very controversial subject in today's society. Physician assisted suicide is when one voluntarily makes the decision to end life due to a terminal illness. In my opinion, physician assisted suicide is not ethical because; many people feel taking of a life is morally wrong, it shows no respect for humanity, and it takes ones dignity away. Physician assisted suicide and Euthanasia exist and neither are morally correct.
Nothing about ending one's life is ethically right. An act as such would be considered an act od virtue ethics. "Virtue ethics is distinct from both utilitarianism and deontology. Rather than focusing on the consequences of the act we wish to evaluate or the rule that guides the action, we look at the character of the person performing the act."(Mosser, 2010) Each having the same outcome but still different, physician assisted suicide is when a physician gives the patient means to commit suicide but not administering it personally.Euthanasia is a lethal dosage of medicine administered by a physician. (Gula,1999a) This process is called death by mercy but some see it as murder. Death is a natural part of living. Death is something that occurs somewhere every second of the day, it should be from natural cause or accidental never should it be doctor promoted . When people become ill it is the physician they put trust in for the care they need to survive the illness they have become stricken with. This is not always the case, depending on the severity of the illness some have ask physicians to assist in their death. The physician must be responsible and alert the patient of their choices when a life threatening illness occurs. Physician assisted suicide demonstrates ethical egoism, even though it satisfies ones desire it is not always the logical decision. Physician assisted death would seem like the easy way to prevent suffering and pain during a terminal illness, but there are other choices a patient has that will allow them to live their remaining time comfortable, pain free, and dignified. "The rule of double effect is regularly invoked in ethical discussions about palliative sedation, terminal extubation and other clinical acts that may be viewed as hastening death for imminently dying patients. Unfortunately, the literature tends to employ this useful principle in a fashion suggesting that it offers the final word on the moral acceptability of such medical procedures. In fact, the rule cannot be applied appropriately without invoking moral theories that are not explicit in the rule itself. Four tenets of the rule each require their own ethical justification. A variety of moral theories are relevant to making judgments in a pluralistic society. Much of the rich moral conversation germane to the rule has been reflected in arguments about physician-assisted suicide and voluntary active euthanasia, but the rule itself has limited relevance to these debates, and requires its own moral justifications when applied to other practices that might hasten death."(Billings,2011) Never is it morally correct for a life to be hasten, life is often to short, living life to it's fullest is the only way one should live. "At what point did life lose its value? Life, once believed to be given by God, could only be taken by God. God was once considered the author of life and he alone determined the terminus of life. Once upon a time every human life, the unborn and the born, had value. Not arbitrary value - I mean every life had inherent worth simply by existing. However, we have put a new price on life - it's cheap. It appears that human life has become expendable from the womb to the nursing home. Humankind, not God, has become the measure of all things. "Quality of life," not life itself, has become the standard for determining who lives and who dies. We accept the "Un-Hippocratic Oath" from doctors who once took an oath to "do no harm," to preserve life rather than take life. Our "culture of death" has become skilled at taking life through means of abortion, physician- assisted suicide, infanticide and euthanasia. Dr. Kevorkian and so many others have contributed to the assault on human life."(Orlando Sentinal,1998) "ACCORDING TO Christian beliefs, the sovereignty of God and the human responsibility for stewardship limit our freedom to control life. God has absolute dominion over life, and we share in that dominion only as limited creatures" (Gula,1999 b) Mankind should never go against god and to kill or assist in killing
Someone goes against god's way to die. Assisting in taking ones life not only goes against gods will but it is also illegal and punishable by law. There are alternatives, never should anyone feel that because they have a life limiting or terminal illness that life is over, in fact that could be where life begins. Never is it fair to oneself or the ones that love and care for them to choose to end life.
Pain and suffering could cause one to think about ending life quickly, but never does that have to be the only choice one has. Terminally ill patients are often offered Hospice care which is palliative care that allows the patient to die with dignity and live the remainder of their life surround by their family and loved ones. Patients that are given a terminal diagnosis that limits life to six months or less are often appropriate for the hospice program. "The hospice philosophy involves making terminal patients as comfortable as possible, empowering them with control of the time they have left, but neither hastening nor postponing death Rather than giving over control to medical experts in an effort to cure disease, patients are empowered by the interdisciplinary team of hospice practitioners to take control of their lives in the time that remains.Hospice seeks to neither hasten nor postpone death. Dying can be a rich and meaningful process for individuals and their families. In truth, dying is simply part of living: an important part." (Mesler & Miller, 2000) Some may see physician assisted suicide as a way for a terminally ill patient to end the pain and suffering. As a hospice care provider, seeing first hand how life in the end can be the best time of ones life. With the help of hospice care providers never should anyone make such haste decisions as to end their life through physician assisted suicide. Physicians have virtual ethics to withhold when caring for patients that feel they want to end life due to pain and suffering. "IN TREATING DYING PATIENTS, who by virtue of their physical and emotional situation are frail and vulnerable, physicians must meet a high standard of professional, ethical care. Such a standard is based upon a philosophy of care that recognizes the patients' inherent worth as human beings and their uniqueness as individuals. The ethical and virtuous physician will practice in accordance with the principles of biomedical ethics that form the foundations of thought and treatment approaches in this area and will seek to do the best for the patient and the family. "Doing the best" includes respecting autonomy through gentle truth-telling, helping the patient and family to set treatment goals, and providing for symptom control, continuing attentive care and accompaniment throughout the course of the illness. Total care includes physical, emotional and spiritual aspects, is sensitive to cultural values and is best provided by an interdisciplinary team. Practices of symptom control in routine care and in crisis situations, as well as the cessation and non-initiation of treatment, will have as their goals the relief and comfort of the patient. The ethical physician will not act with the intention of bringing about the death of the patient, whether by ordering medication in excess of that required for symptom control, administering a lethal injection or any other means. Because of this atmosphere of confusion and controversy, physicians may be anxious about whether their manner of caring for dying patients falls within the realm of acceptable, ethical professional practice. The resulting uncertainty may produce ambivalence on the part of the physician about providing effective symptom control, which could lead either to under treatment of symptoms or to unwarranted over sedation of patients at the end of life. The result is a failure to alleviate Suffering. The ethical physician will be familiar with approaches to symptom control, will provide for regular assessment of the patient's symptoms and will not hesitate to order medications with the intention to control symptoms and provide a state of comfort for the patient. The doses ordered will be appropriate to the particular clinical context. The ethical physician will not seek to hasten death by ordering medications in excess of what is required by the patient for control of Symptoms. Care must be based on a philosophy that acknowledges the inherent worth off each person as a unique individual. Patients and their families have a right to respect, compassion, attentive and skilled physical and psychosocial care, and spiritual support. "(Latimer, 1998) Patients have a choice when they are given a diagnoses of terminal illness, never should they feel they have to stop living. A terminal diagnoses does not mean giving up on life. Hospice care focuses on symptom management , spirituality , and psychsocial issues. That is not the only care offered the love for the patient and families is the greatest part of all and as a hospice employee, I can say that comes from the heart for each patient cared for. There is no better feeling than to hug a patient and see the smile on their face and for them to see the smile they bring to mine. Never should a dying patient feel they are traveling the journey alone. As everyone knows when they are ill the last thing they want is to be alone, just imagine how a patient that has been told they only have a short time to live must feel especially when they are alone. No one except god knows when someone will take their journey to the other side therefore keeping them comfortable makes the transition a pleasant experience. As a hospice employee what I do on a daily basis is not a job it is a calling. " Some people stumble into their jobs. Some pursue their life's passion. And some are called to their work. When the patient looks up in your eyes, and the whole family is there around them, and the patient says to you, `I don't know how I would have done it without you,' that's very rewarding. To meet the needs, hospice care features a medical team that includes physicians, registered nurses, social workers, home health aides, chaplains and volunteers. They are scheduled to cover shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The medical teams that work in hospice care are full of people who have been called, not hired. The hospice social worker has seen patients hang on to life for all kinds of reasons. Part of her job as a social worker is to help them discover what they need to let go. Registered nurses who work hospice discover that hospice care puts the focus on living, not dying.The hospice physician is instrumental in guiding the team on that Course. We rely on each other, and all the communication from each caregiver is important. The home health aide might get the best information because they're with the patient every day in a very intimate setting." (Himmelberg, 1998) I believe god puts us where we are suppose to be, and for me there is no doubt that caring for the terminally ill is exactly where I am suppose to be. When someone makes a choice to end their live through physician assisted suicide they miss out on the chance to receive some of the best care of their life. It is the goal of the hospice team to ensure the patient end of life journey is the best time of their life. Not only is it a philosophy but it becomes a way of life to understand,and implement the practice, that all patients be treated morally, respectful and with dignity.

References

Billings, J. A. (2011). Double effect: A useful rule that alone cannot justify hastening death. Journal of Medical Ethics, 37(7), 437. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/874328639?accountid=32521

Gula, R. M. (1999, May 05). Dying well: A challenge to christian compassion. The Christian Century, 116, 501-505. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/217218064?accountid=32521

Himmelberg, M. (1998,May 04): The Orange,County Register.IN HOSPICE CARE, A MEDICAL TEAM TREATS THE WHOLE PATIENT // home health aides, nurses and social workers provide valuable input in the care of terminally ill patients. Orange County Register, pp. 04-G04. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/273042186?accountid=32521

Latimer, E. J. (1998). Ethical care at the end of life. Canadian Medical Association.Journal, 158(13), 1741-7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204779549?accountid=32521

Mesler, M. A., & Miller, P. J. (2000). Hospice and assisted suicide: The structure and process of an inherent dilemma. Death Studies, 24(2), 135-155. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/231392097?accountid=32521

Mosser, K. (2010) Ethics and Social Responsibility retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books/AUSOC120.10.2/sections/sec.1.7

The world has a wax-cold attitude toward human life. (1998, Dec 12). Orlando Sentinel, pp. 6-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/279229514?accountid=32521