Euthanasia! your opinions needed please

[81shelbay]

Hi there I am a 3rd year nursing student. Our class at university have been asked to compile a debate for and against euthanasia/assisted suicide, our class has been divided into two groups and I have been placed in the group for. I have been appointed as one of the main speakers to argue our case and this is where I ask for your help. I would be very grateful if anyone can post their opinions on this matter and their reasons why? It can be for or against but because I am on the for team I would love to see if anyone agrees with it. I personally agree with some aspects of it but I am on the fence due to it being such a sensitive issue. The results from this post will be used in the debate but just the numbers of people not details etc... So opinions are very welcome thank you for reading, much appreciated.

[maccamax]

We live in a screwed up world . When Nurses mention God or religion in their decision making , get another job.

When conceived , huge numbers want to kill you ( abortion ) , with a whole life in front of you . When your Old an suffering and begging for an out , They fight to keep you in pain and distress and deny you some dignity and an end to the frightening time at life's conclusion.

Yes, God made the world some say . WHO made God.?

Time we had a good look at peoples right to die with dignity. What is the big deal , all a part of the cycle of life.

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

I would challenge anyone who thinks that a nurse that mentions God or religion needs to find a new job. How about doing a little research into the history of nursing. The thought makes your statement a little comical

[maccamax]

Then stop learning about how to care for the ill and learn how to pray with more success.

What is comical is that you are putting the brainwash of your religious upbringing In front of the scientific advancemenst of your chosen profession.

[cynicalERRN]

First of all, I am against euthanasia. I was a Hospice nurse for over 25 years and believe death from a terminal illness doesn't have to be a "horrible" experience. I wouldn't wish it on any one, but with today's medications, alternative treatments, symptoms can be controlled. I have seen situations ( too many to count) of families coming together, relationships healed, love being shown that to cut the process short is a great injustice. Every second counts.

I had to write a paper on this subject and I am convinced that if a person chooses to end his or her own life they should be able to make that decision without the intervention of others.

Hospice is a wonderful service and I commend you for doing such a seemingly difficult job as a hospice nurse. I'm sure you helped many people through the most difficult time in their life. But not all people who wish to have assisted suicide are terminally ill.

In my paper I used the movie "Mar Adentro" (The Sea Inside) about a man who was a quadriplegic. He lived over 20 years that way and his description of his life was "A life without freedom is not a life".

Dying with Dignity is an organization that is committed to helping patients who wish to end their life without passing the repercussions to others who aided them. The title of their organization is the truth. We as able minded human beings are able to make decisions about everything in our lives. Who to marry, where to live, who to love, how to live. We fight for our civil rights for freedom to make these decisions. This should be a personal decision. We should be able to decide to die with dignity. Whatever that means to each individual.

[maccamax]

We are all entitled to have opinions, We have all had our experiences and we can create a plus and minus for most things .

What we are not entitled to do is bend any law that governs our role .

I think there is too much unjustified suffering for far too many in the final staged of life . We don't allow our pets to suffer endlessly through their final time . But in some areas we are forced to preserve life at all costs . We virtually torture, In my opinion.

For all that we have laws to follow depends on where we are. As Nurses we must NEVER break those.

[macawake, MSN]

Well I am in the "if you cannot create life you have no business taking it" camp.

I'd argue that the human species is extremely capable when it comes to creating life

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_growth

(I realize that's not exactly what you meant by your post. I believe that evolution is the origin of our species, which means that we weren't "created" by anything or anyone, but that's a topic for a different thread).

As a hospice nurse I see so many ill patients pressured into signing DNR's and other legal papers by their "loved ones"

That's profoundly sad if it's not what the patient wishes.

As a nurse, I'm sure that you've also seen the other side of that coin. Loved ones who demand aggressive treatment in an attempt to prolong life no matter what quality of life the patient has or how much suffering they have to endure and when it's also contrary to the expressed wish of the patient.

That is equally sad.

I'm a strong supporter of patient's autonomy. Actually I believe in autonomy for human beings. Period. Our own body and life is exactly that, our own.

In my opinion every individual has the right to decide for themselves. If you (the generic you) feel that we don't have the right to take a life ever, then let that conviction be the guiding light for how you choose to end your days in this life. Extend the same courtesy to others and allow them to decide what's right for them. This is a deeply private matter and we should be allowed to follow or own convictions, not have somebody else's forced upon us. Regardless of which side of the debate we're on.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

euthanasia - bad...if its a unilateral decision made by a doc, which i believe is the actual definition of euthanasia

PAD/Physician assisted death - good. if i decide i want to end my life you have no right to tell me otherwise. its my life. pretty straightforward. denying me the right to a PAD is akin to denying me the right of advanced directives in general.

[Vishwamitr]

Dude, what's up with this ridiculous string of "degrees"? Whom are you trying to impress? CNA? LPN? Really?

[Conqueror+, BSN, RN]

Then stop learning about how to care for the ill and learn how to pray with more success.

What is comical is that you are putting the brainwash of your religious upbringing In front of the scientific advancemenst of your chosen profession.

Caring for the ill and praying effectively are not mutually exclusive. In my nursing practice they actually go hand in hand and one encourages me to do the other. I'm not sure what you mean by brainwashing and you have no idea with my upbringing is. Also science and religion are not mutually exclusive either.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

We now have government health care.

This statement is not accurate for the majority of Americans...

The only Americans who truly have 'government' health care are those who receive Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare (military health system benefits). Everyone else either has private insurance coverage or is uninsured.

And no, the policies that can be purchased on the health care exchanges do not count as 'government' health care.

[CHESSIE]

euthanasia - bad...if its a unilateral decision made by a doc, which i believe is the actual definition of euthanasia

PAD/Physician assisted death - good. if i decide i want to end my life you have no right to tell me otherwise. its my life. pretty straightforward. denying me the right to a PAD is akin to denying me the right of advanced directives in general.

Euthanasia, translated from the Latin, means "good death," and I have never seen a physician make the "unilateral" decision to take the life of a patient.

I agree with your assessment of PAD, and I wish that this was the law of the land. Physicians could end needless suffering, if a patient so desired. This would obviate a physician being tried, found guilty and imprisoned which was the travesty of justice that was the tragic fate for Dr. Kevorkian.

[bellabellabijou]

I cannot personally assist someone to end their lives. Just cannot. But I believe someone has the right to make the decision to do so. It's just my decision not to part of it.