...Well shockingly, almost twenty thousand people who are terminally ill are helped to die by their doctors each year in Britain. It is not only those twenty thousand people whose lives are ruined each year, but also their family and friends, who had no choice. If we introduced euthanasia people who are physically healthy but have mental health problems will be killed and denied the chance to have effective palliative care. So I ask you, do we really want to be living in a world like that? A world where doctors can decide whether you live or be murdered. If the palliative care in the UK is adequate then euthanasia shouldn’t even have to be an option. Many of you may have seen an article in the telegraph recently regarding the case tom Mortier’s mother, who suffered from depression decided to use assisted suicide to end her life. Although Mortier lives in Belgium where euthanasia is legal, he was horrified to find out his own mother had used this method to end her life. His mother was not terminally ill and was likely to live for at least another fifteen years. Depression wasn’t going to kill her. If someone who suffers with depression cannot see a way out of there sadness and they need to fix the problem instead of taking, in their eyes, the ‘easy’ way out. I am a firm believer in that there is a solution to everything and you can’t give up. This example shows us that euthanasia is not only being used for the terminally ill and there is no way of regulating it. So where does it...
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...the least, and it is something that nobody wants to ever have to deal with under any circumstances. In very rare cases in the more recent past, some have turned to others to help ease their ongoing pain in one of the quickest, but extremely permanent, ways. Euthanasia, or sometimes also referred to as assisted suicide, is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. The choice itself is not for everyone, and never should be. It should be reserved to the very few who’s daily physical pain is keeping them in much more agony, and that they themselves are in a conscious state to know what they are experiencing and that they would like it more otherwise. On one side, you can say that in the end it should be the individuals’ choice themselves, and other people should not stand in the way simply because they do not know what they are experiencing in the case of a terminal illness. It may be hard for those who care about the individual, but they should be able to respect the wishes of those who are in pain to have some type of closure. But on the other hand, these same people might not be in the right mental or physical states to make an educated decision that has not been influenced by others own opinions . Euthanasia has both positive and negative effects and needs to be determined weather it is right or wrong on a base-by-base case. Around the globe, Euthanasia is a sensitive subject due to the morality of some cultures and the beliefs of others...
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...Case study #1 1. The priority teaching would be to never abruptly stop taking the medication especially without consulting your physician, but try to take it in the morning so she would not have to get up a lot during the night to empty her bladder. 2. Decreased cardiac output r/t increased vasoconstriction aeb variations in blood pressure readings a. Monitor and measure blood pressure in both arms, using a manual technique for an accurate reading b. Monitor response to medication to control blood pressure. Give fluid and sodium restriction as indicated Disturbed Sleep Pattern r/t use of prescription diuretic aeb awaking various times in the middle of the night * instruct patient to take hctz in the morning to avoid waking up at night * assist the patient to identify envoiormental factors that make sleep difficult. Knowledge deficit related to lack of information about the disease process and self-care as evidence by patient lack of complaiance with medications. * Describe the nature of the disease and the purpose of the procedure and the treatment of hypertension * Explain the importance of a peaceful environment and theraupetic, and management of stressors. 3. Two non pharmacologic ways of managing hypertension include limiting your alcohol intake and the DASH diet which includes a diet that encourages you to reduce sodium intake and eat foods rich in nutrients such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. ...
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...Caring Hospice Business Plan Bonita Lewis Central Methodist University COMPANY SUMMARY/CATCHY-SELLS Caring Hospice is a new hospice company in its start-up stages. It will offer compassionate and caring end of life care for terminally ill patients and their families in southeast Missouri. The company name “Caring Hospice” is catchy and easily remembered by consumers. The name indicates that this company will care for dying loved ones. MARKET ANALYSIS Caring Hospice will be located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. This is the southeastern region of the state. It is comprised of poor communities where residents often are forced to travel as far as fifty miles or more for adequate health care. Market research shows there is a significant need for quality hospice care in this region, with only six competitors that travel to the homes of patients living in the rural counties (Yellow Pages, n.d). Caring Hospice will thrive for years to come simply due to the fact that it will bring care to the patients in their own homes. FINANCIALS The start-up budget includes a list of expenditures (Henderson, 2003). The expenses will be compiled of operating and non-operating costs (Dunham-Taylor & Pinczuk, 2010). The start-up costs will be paid with a new business loan the first 90 days. After this time, the business will be able to support itself with revenue from billing to Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurances (Hogan & Hartson, 2012). The estimated beginning...
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...but using solid clinical skills. To respond effectively, physicians must know the reasons why patients ask for assistance. Depression, psychosocial factors, and anticipated distress are common reasons, but current physical suffering can also be a factor. Physicians need to be able to assess the root causes of the specific request, make a commitment to the patient’s care, address each of the patient’s sources of suffering, educate the patient about legal alternatives, and seek counsel from colleagues. The vast majority of requests for PAS or euthanasia should abate when approached in this way. Oregon The state of Oregon has had a physician-assisted suicide law since 1994 which was implemented in 1998. Since then more than 341 terminally ill people have taken...
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...Hospice care is designed to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a terminal illness and focus on comfort and quality of life rather than cure. The goal is to enable patients to be comfortable and free of pain, so that they live each day as fully as possible. The term “hospice” ( from the same linguistic root as “hospitality”) can be traced back to medieval times when it referred to a place of shelter and rest for the weary or terminally ill on a long journey in 1948 (History of Hospice Care, 2012). The name of the physician was Dame Cicely Saunders who treated the terminally ill and eventually went on to create the first modern hospice, named St Christopher’s Hospice, in a residential suburb of London. (History of Hospice Care, 2012). Ms. Saunders introduced the idea of specialized care for the dying to the United States of America during a 1963 visit with Yale University. Her lecture, given to medical students, nurses, social workers, and chaplains, about the concept of holistic hospital care, included photos of terminally ill patients and their families, showing the dramatic differences before and after the symptom control care (History of Hospice Care, 2012). Ownership In 2010, there were over 5000 hospice programs nationwide (Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America, 2012). The majority of these facilities are freestanding agencies constituting 58 percent of all hospice centers (Facts and Figures: Hospice Care in America, 2012). They are also utilized in...
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...Workshop 100W Section 5 Mary Juno San Jose State University May 8, 2012 Abstract Euthanasia, the act of killing oneself in order to end pain and suffering, is illegal in the majority of the states in the nation. Euthanasia should be legalized in order to promote autonomy, personal decisions, and the quality of life. Oppositions to legalizing euthanasia include morality, religious beliefs, concern for medical staff violating the Hippocratic Oath, and fear of abuse of the act. Some states have made euthanasia legal under strict circumstances; the rest of the nation should soon follow. Introduction “Dogs do not have many advantages over people, but one of them is extremely important: euthanasia is not forbidden by law in their case; animals have the right to a merciful death” (Kundera, 1999). Euthanasia is the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering. It is a common practice among household pets as a humane way to end their lives if they are suffering. Euthanasia in relation to humans is illegal in the United States as well as many other countries across the world. It is bizarre to think that animals have the right to die when their owners believe they are suffering and in distress, but humans are not granted that same opportunity. Euthanasia, practiced most commonly on animals, has three distinct types in relation to the euthanasia of humans. Voluntary euthanasia, which requires consent from the patient; non-voluntary euthanasia...
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...Active and Passive Euthanasia Active and passive euthanasia have been debatable topics for years. The word “euthanasia”, derived from the Greek “eu-thanatos” simply means “a good death” (Perri, 1996). Passive (voluntary) euthanasia occurs when a terminally ill patient expressed his/her wish to remove life-supports and the patient is permitted to die “naturally” or “as a consequence of the disease.” Active (involuntary) euthanasia—that is the bringing about of a person's death without the consent of the person—it is almost always treated as homicide, even when the act can be recognized as producing a "merciful death" (Larue, 1999). It is often argued that doctors are justified in allowing their patients to die by withdrawing or withholding treatment, but are not justified in killing them. Although, active and passive euthanasia might seem generally accepted by the medical profession, at the same time, it is still broadly debated. As it is directly derived from the Rachels’s article, the debate revolves around the following statement: “it is permissible, at least in some cases, to withhold treatment and allow a patient to die, but it is never permissible to take any direct action designed to kill the patient” (364). There is a debate as to whether there is really any difference between active and passive euthanasia. In the minds of some, the removal of life-support, or passive euthanasia, is defined as "doing something to terminate life" (Larue, 1999). At the same time, "passive...
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...LIFE: THE ROLE OF NURSES BY (Student’s Name) Course Instructor Institution City, State Date Dignity in End of Life: The Role of Nurses LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION A literature review is a critical appraisal of researches that provides a comprehensive and up to date knowledge on a specific topic (Coughlan, Ryan and Cronin 2013). The purpose of literature review in nursing includes evaluating current practice and making recommendations for policy development and change. Thus, the purpose of this literature review is to establish the current perspectives of patients, family and nurses on the factors that improve dignity in the end of life. Resultantly, this literature review will explore the role of nurses’ based on the findings of the perspectives that patients, family and health professionals have concerning the issue of dignity in the end of life care. In that regard, the paper follows a systematic approach which involves an introduction that explains the concept of end of life and the types of end of life care available. The paper then proceeds to explore the concept of dignity as viewed from several perspectives through the use of literature on the models of dignity means of measuring dignity and the themes associated with this conception. Consequently, the factors that improve dignity are laid out and discussed at length. Eventually, the paper will achieve its secondary goal which is to determine and expound on the topic of the roles that a nurse plays in end of life...
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...death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia) ARGUMENTS FOR EUTHANASIA: It provides away to relieve extreme pain It provides a way of relief when a person’s quality of life is low Frees up medical funds to help people It is another case of freedom of choice ARGUMENTS AGAINST EUTHANASIA: Euthanasia devalues human life Euthanasia can become a means of health care cost containment Physicians and other medical care people should not be involved in directly causing death There is a “slippery slope” effect that has occurred where euthanasia has been first been legalized for only the terminally and later laws are changed to allow it for other people or to be done non-voluntarily. Opposition overcomes 48 point deficit to defeat assisted suicide - Ballot Question 2 in Massachusetts 1 1 0 Google BOSTON, Nov. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a stunning upset, the voters of Massachusetts soundly defeated Ballot Question 2 on Election Day. Dealing a significant setback to the expansion of the assisted suicide movement throughout the United States by Compassion & Choices (the organization formerly known as the Hemlock Society), a diverse coalition of disability rights organizations, medical associations, nurses' groups, community leaders and faith-based organizations united in this effort. "Tonight was a huge victory for those of us in the disability rights community that have worked for so long against assisted suicide," noted John Kelly , Director of...
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...patient with a prescription for medication for the patient to use with the primary intention of ending his or her own life.” This controversial topic challenges America to question the ethical, religious, and cultural values and beliefs that have been around for centuries. Many argue that it is not up to the patient to choose how or when they die while others argue that, in fact, it could prevent years of pain and suffering. It may be easy to hear the definition of physician assisted suicide and assume it is not morally acceptable, however, there are several educated arguments defending a patients right to choose. According to Dr. Quill, in most surveys, approximately two-thirds of the United States approves of (PAS) as as option for the terminally ill yet when the time comes to legalize (PAS), the vote splits at 50/50. The controversy of (PAS) erupted in 1990 when Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a pathologist, assisted his first patient into death (Landau 80). His first client was Janet Adkins who was a sufferer of Alzheimers. Kevorkian reported the death to police but no prosecution followed (BBC News). Before the story of his assisted suicides hit national news, these issues were not a topic of public discussion. According to the judge that sentenced Kevorkian to twenty five years behind bars, “He brought to the forefront end-of-life issues” (BBC News). Dr. Kevorkian assisted others in death who suffered from cancer, alzheimers, arthritis, heart disease, emphysema, and multiple schlerosis...
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...going to happen to you, so let’s make the decisions before we get to this point. Physicians should make it routine to talk to their adult patients about the options of end of life care and advance directives. These end of life care and advance directive involve: living will, a medical power of attorney (or healthcare proxy), palliative care and hospice care. Allowing these patients to know all the options they have, it could make the end of life care process easier for families when deciding what should be done. I believe physicians and nurses should talk about end of life care and advance directives because everybody should know their options before they get...
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...also been shown to contribute to reduced cost of training new employees, improved patient satisfaction, and better adherence to treatment (Miller, 2008; Weissman & Nathanson, 1985). Interdisciplinary relationships with hospice team members including social workers, nurses, physicians, chaplains, as well as the collaborative work that emerges from these relationships, has been described as an essential component of hospice and palliative care (NHPCO, 2013; World Health Organization, 2002). Hospice social workers operate as members of this interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of terminally ill patients and their families. Evidence is lacking about whether the quality of relationships with other disciplines on the hospice team and administrative leadership affect job satisfaction of the hospice social worker. For the purpose of this study, work relationships with other interdisciplinary team members and perceptions of leadership were the variables of focus in the work environment that were hypothesized to impact job satisfaction. The congruence of the fit between the hospice social worker and this aspect of the hospice work environment were hypothesized to contribute to job satisfaction in this study. The Theory of Work Adjustment (Dawis & Lofquist 1984; Fritzsche & Parrish, 2005) emphasizes the process of achieving correspondence between the employee and the work environment. Degree of job satisfaction is therefore, associated with a successful person-in-environment...
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...that it should be legalized in more states because, there are people who would like the option, its puts families in bad situations, and they have a legal right to not suffer. The number one reason assisted suicide should be legalized is that there are many people I need of it. In a study done by the Institute for Rehabilitation Research and Development, it stated that 73 percent of terminally ill patients would like assisted suicide to be legalized. This is because people would rather live their last days without unboreable pain or symptoms of their disease and they don’t want their family and friends to watch them suffer. Since assisted suicide is not legal in many states this...
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...This essay will demonstrate that it is not “always morally worse to kill than it is to let die”. It will be argued that passive euthanasia (i.e. letting someone die) is not morally wrong and that active euthanasia (i.e. accelerating their death) is no less moral. However, the many complications associated with the legalisation of active euthanasia (and euthanasia in general) must be identified and addressed. These identified complications may be eliminated with an appropriate regulatory regime. Assuming that identified complications can be overcome, and having established that it is not always morally worse to kill than to let die, it will be demonstrated that active euthanasia should not be banned. Morality, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour”1. Hinde states that the principles are influenced and changed by one’s society and culture but also “based in human nature”2. As morality is influenced by society, public opinion is important when it comes to controversial issues. Morality differs from place to place and evolves over time. To compound this diversity, changes in medical treatment, and discoveries which enhance medical knowledge evolves rapidly and what was not even conceivable in some cultures or at certain points in history are now commonly accepted. Developments in end of life care fall within this category. With our increased ability to prolong life, arguments can now be made...
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