should patients be able to choose to end their life if they are in pain and dying

Nurses General Nursing

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Should pts be able to choose to end their life if they are in pain and dying I do because they shouldn't have to cope with been in pain and they should be given the choice to die naturally or with help in ending it:cry:

Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.
It is not like we let the patients suffer horribly,I mean there are a lot of potent drugs out there can be used when providing the palliative care,another separate issue is that the nurses are afraid to give increased amount morphine or dont have the orders for it,I have no problem with giving larger doses of opioids if it will alleviate the pain.Maybe instead of supporting or debating the ethics of assisted suicide/euthanasia nurses should focus more and have less fear on providing a palliative care.

End-of-life suffering isn't just about the physical pain. There are certain disease processes that cause mental and emotional anguish that all the opiods in the world couldn't help with. :(

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it was said somewhere up there that Hospice does not give the patient pills to kill them, but to help them relax so they can pass naturally.

In my expirience. They have been given such high doses of morophine four times a day that it would kill ANYONE.

And I very strongly believe that some of my residents very well Could have survived had it not been for hospices intervention. One of which being a very dear person to me, who had an excellent quality of life before she got sick.

In one case, my patients daughter intervened and refused to let it be administered to her mother.(im not ashamed to say, on my recommendation. I know I shouldnt have, But she asked.)

Her mother is still alive and doing quite well.

I will concede that their are times when it is appropriate and even better. But it is undeniable there are times when it is Wrong as well.

In a conservative LDS dominated state like I am in, Hospice is the closest thing we have to early release for miserable people. I absolutely respect them and the job they do. Im just bitter I suppose at the unneeded loss of a friend

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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.
it was said somewhere up there that Hospice does not give the patient pills to kill them, but to help them relax so they can pass naturally.

In my expirience. They have been given such high doses of morophine four times a day that it would kill ANYONE.

And I very strongly believe that some of my residents very well Could have survived had it not been for hospices intervention. One of which being a very dear person to me, who had an excellent quality of life before she got sick.

In one case, my patients daughter intervened and refused to let it be administered to her mother.(im not ashamed to say, on my recommendation. I know I shouldnt have, But she asked.)

Her mother is still alive and doing quite well.

I will concede that their are times when it is appropriate and even better. But it is undeniable there are times when it is Wrong as well.

In a conservative LDS dominated state like I am in, Hospice is the closest thing we have to early release for miserable people. I absolutely respect them and the job they do. Im just bitter I suppose at the unneeded loss of a friend

I am shaking my head and sighing right now. Also, very much at a loss for words.:down:

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

as a patient advocate, i believe nurse's should try to step away from what 'they' would do, and their 'religion', and listen to what the patients want.

there are terminally ill people that will not recover, that will feel pain that we do not even comprehend, and i believe they deserve special measures to ensure their comfort. if this includes massive pain killers, okay, and if it includes the patient choosing to end their own life, okay.

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Specializes in ER and Home Health.

I am young and do not know all the legalities. Do we not have freedom of choice in this country. Where is the ACLU on this.

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Office; Oncology.

:nurse:Working as an Oncology nurse for years, which overflows into hospice many times, I have seen pain, physically and spiritually. We have an awesome hospice here in Lakeside Arizona. Nurses who care deeply and are very knowledgable in pain medications. Very seldom have they been at a loss in helping our bone cancer patients (the worst) managing their pain. Should patients be able to choose to end their life? NO. Now I'm sure many of you would think me non-compassionate, on the contrary, I'm very compassionate. Will those patients who are determined to end their life do it? Most likely....

Would I help those wanting to end their lives? Absolutely not. I take life as precious - as it begins in the mothers womb to when it takes it's last breath here on earth. I believe with all my heart ..."to do no harm". None of us have any control over when we will die - young, middle aged, old. But we will all die. How we accept it is a key that will help surpass the physical realm, the physical pain, physical emotions.... It's when we have a peace that surpasses all human understanding that will help us through the physical passage. Compassionate nurses, loving families, loving church families are important key players. Our society today have made dying and death a very terrible and fearful conclusion to our lives. Many many of us do not want to go there and would rather take a lethal injection or pill to take our fear away, instead of being surrounded by our loved ones as we pass through this life. What a cheap conclusion to our existance....

Debra

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End-of-life suffering isn't just about the physical pain. There are certain disease processes that cause mental and emotional anguish that all the opiods in the world couldn't help with. :(

So from your understanding all the mentally ill people or "unhappy" people should walk with lethal injections in their pockets?:rolleyes:

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You obviously aren't reading what she said.

Certain disease processes... Not all... ;)

But. To answer your question. If someone WANTS to walk around with a lethal injection in their pocket, who are you to stop them?

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as a patient advocate, i believe nurse's should try to step away from what 'they' would do, and their 'religion', and listen to what the patients want.

there are terminally ill people that will not recover, that will feel pain that we do not even comprehend, and i believe they deserve special measures to ensure their comfort. if this includes massive pain killers, okay, and if it includes the patient choosing to end their own life, okay.

actually there are terminal people who will recover-the medicine cannot predict everyrhing,tell ithis to the doctor who defibrillated 20 times a women who was found in her home laying on the floor,pulseless.miracles,prayers happens and we should not give up our hopes.

also it is quite opposite,we should never go against our moral code and decline the care for patients who obviously have a conflicting ethics,we should be assigned to patients that we feel comfortably with and thank god we have the choice here in america,i dont want to to assist a lady who is about to get abortion because it would be against my role,however i will not abandon her in case there is no one there,but i have a choice to follow my beliefs and at the same time i have to take care of my mental health as well...not only patients...to be a safe,functional nurse.

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You obviously aren't reading what she said.

Certain disease processes... Not all... ;)

But. To answer your question. If someone WANTS to walk around with a lethal injection in their pocket, who are you to stop them?

I am imagining all the teenagers emotionally disturbed walking around and telling everyone "I have the right to die":D

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I agree that no one should ever make you do what you don't feel in your heart is right.

I was one of those teens. ;)

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You obviously aren't reading what she said.

Certain disease processes... Not all... ;)

But. To answer your question. If someone WANTS to walk around with a lethal injection in their pocket, who are you to stop them?

Nurses should be therapeutic....

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