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Main pro and cons of assisted suicide essay
Legal and Ethical Issues Involving Assisted Suicide
Ethics and physician assisted suicide
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Generally, the process of assisted suicide is done by a physician for those patients that are fatally ill with zero chance of possibilities to making a recovery and with great likely hood their death will be drawn out by the hospitals machines and more then likely
She believes that it would be much easier to have a physician do it because they already have all the necessary means of performing the task. The physician could discuss the suicide with a psychologist, a social worker or a clergyman to make sure the patient truly wants the suicide. For now physician assisted suicide still depends on the patients state of health, but a new question arising is whether someone can have assisted suicide if they are just tired of life. If someone is tired of life because they have medical issues, but just not as severe as a terminal illness
Death is an option for those who are suffering and do not see life as it is anymore. They are slowly fading, and want to willingly be gone. Several see it as inhumane and religiously wrong, but need to consider the patients feeling and what they want. . Due to these reasons, assisted suicide should be considered legal. We are promised rights in the US, and the right to die should be one that is given without any question.
Assisted death is a version of voluntary active euthanasia, which is different from the withdrawal of life-support, a passive type of euthanasia. The health professional prescribes the terminally ill patient a medication that will allow them to end their life immediately in an environment chosen by them. To date, physician-assisted suicide is legal in Vermont, Montana, Oregon and Washington and other places around the world. Concerning the debate over this issue, some individuals believe that patients considered to be terminally ill or in extreme pain have the right to decide their death, and in doing so, receive the help of a doctor. On the contrary, others argue that patients should not be allowed to choose death with the help of a health
Physician-assisted suicide is an option only given to patients that have a terminal illness as well as a prognosis of less than or six months to live. It work as another opportunity for the patient, a way to release their pain and stress. The patient must be mentally competent and must submit both oral and written requests to his or her attending physician at least 15 days apart. Also, the patient must also be physically able to self-administer the drug. It might sounds similar to euthanasia, however, it is totally different.
Assisted suicide is “suicide with help from another person (such as a doctor) to end suffering from severe physical illness” (Merriam-Webster).This is a controversial topic because it can both benefit and harm. Psychologist must “Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity” Principle E of the APA Code of Ethics states that “Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination”(APA Code of Ethics). Some patients a psychologist may work with might wish to use assisted suicide as an option to end their life. There is a dilemma between how a psychologist is ethically required to act professionally and what their patients may want or need. Psychologists have to consider other factors.
One of the more pressing social/medical issues of recent times has been euthanasia, also known as physician-assisted suicide, or the right to die. Proponents of human euthanasia propose that those with a terminal illness should have the right to a clean and painless death with the assistance of a physician, rather than the drawn-out and painful natural death that some will otherwise experience. Being one who was raised in a Christian family, I am morally opposed to suicide in all forms, and I strongly believe a human life is sacred enough that a physician should not be granted the permission or power to take it. Many oppose this act for various reasons: religious in nature, moral grounds, or by medical tradition. Some argue that euthanasia does in fact contradict a professional code of ethics.
Ethics of Physician Assisted Suicide Physician - Assisted suicide is defined as, “suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient 's intent.” ("Physician-Assisted Suicide "). As a Christian, my world view belief is that physician assistant suicide (PAS) is wrong and goes against God’s plan. The Christian world view is not shared by everyone. For example, some countries such as Switzerland and states such as Oregon, Montana, Washington and Vermont have implemented physical assisted suicides (PAS) laws.
The assisted suicide refers to euthanasia for the patient who is suffering due to an incurable illness with help from the doctors to end patients suffering by taking of lethal drugs. Colombia, Switzerland, and Germany are some of the legal assisted suicide countries. Physicians cannot be prosecuted for prescribing medications to hasten death (“Physician-Assisted Suicide,” n.d.). Some individuals argue that assisted suicide could be better to become legal to endless patients suffering. However, it is argued that euthanized help patient to comfortable from doom.
The argument of ending life being a slippery slope can be dispelled to a certain degree when it comes to ethical reasoning. Proponents see assisted suicide as a risk to the elderly and uninsured who may feel compelled to request assistance to end life to avoid being a burden to family and or society (Ersek,2004, table 2). Protocol can and would be in place that would assure measures are taken to those seeking to die on their own terms can do so. This choice is done freely without consequence to themselves or by the doctors assisting by determining factors that would safeguard against abuse of the choice to end
One of the most adamant groups in favor of assisted suicide is the Gay Men 's Health Crisis. They released the quote "The fact that the circumstances of the disabled population are, as a whole, far less than ideal in this country, and are likely never to be perfect, is no justification for depriving those who have a terminal illness of the right to end their suffering. These individuals are entirely capable of making rational decisions. " They feel that even though a person may be destined to die, they can still make rational decisions and should be allowed to have their agony put to an end (Times 2).
Assisted suicide is a controversial issue made apparent by the media. Assisted suicide is the act of intentionally killing oneself with the assistance of another. This is very different from euthanasia. Euthanasia is when a person deliberately ends a life to spare them the suffering such as by lethal injection. Assisted suicide is when the physician provides the means for death, letting the patient administer the medication.
If a patient’s doctor says no to the assisted suicide, it is easy for the patient to find another doctor who will allow it. This is corrupting medical practice. To show true compassion, we need to tell them they are not alone, and offer them help and kindness. Permitting assisted suicide is not compassionate because it generally is not the patient’s choice. Doctors can be wrong, and it is better to offer a patient help than to let them die.
Over time, there has always been a debate whether assisted suicide should be allowed into society. Physician assisted suicide can be looked at as an advantage, but it can also be viewed as a negative thing. Assisted suicide is only performed by a physician when the patient is terminally ill, and only if the patient is willing to be assisted in suicide. This procedure is used with lethal doses of drugs prescribed by a physician. Since physician assisted suicide is very risky, there are a lot of precautions to be taken.
We set up palliative care laws and try to make sure a patient is taken care of the way they wished to be for this reason. For some, it may be that they do not want to be on a ventilator or they do not want to live in a state of confusion, and to some, the thought of being completely dependant is a scary situation because they will lose dignity A person would never have to worry about it with an assisted suicide program. Their dignity could stand strong and they could die with it. If a nurse is required to make the patients lives the best they can to keep their dignity, they should take the next step to let them choose when they die so that they can skip the part of how they die. As humans, the Aristotelian idea says we have the ability to act upon what the think is right, and dignity is a choice we are fond of.
