'Right to Die', what's your take on it?

elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Mar 3, 2016

If it's in my job description then yep. I feel if it's the patients best interest as well as their wishes, denying them that option available to them goes against patient advocacy. It's your life and your right to do with it what you will. I didn't decide that you should die, so I can't see it really as an execution.

If this is what you want, this is what you get. It's not my place to have personal opinions or issues that may affect your care. It's a slippery slope that'll make your life hell, and your job impossible.

ktwlpn, LPN · Mar 3, 2016

So California recently passed the 'right to die' law and I recently saw an episode on 'Vice' where a woman in Europe actually allowed the journalist to record her euthanasia. A nurse was there who set up the heplock in her vein where the medication went in. Wanted to know what other nurses think of the 'right to die' law which is now legal in 5 states and if you would participate in it if there were a nursing job for that?

The "right to die" and "euthanasia" are incomparable.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2016

I would definitely help with assisted suicide in very specific situations. And I would do the same for euthanasia again in very situations.
For you who would never consider it, would you if there were inadequate pain control options? What if there were no pain control options?

Thats the thing, if there are no pain meds charted, or the ones charted are insufficent thats when the nurse needs to advocate for their patient and ensure adequate pain relief and other meds are charted.

My mum is terminal, small cell lung carcinoma stage 4. We've had this conversation and i told her "Mum, I cant kill you, I can however make sure when the time comes that you have more than adequate pain relief and other meds charted"

nutella, MSN, RN · Mar 3, 2016

Only one thing left is how to explain family that the Mother is not going to make it any much longer and that taking her home with hospice care would be the the best option. Especially when there are doctors 'round saying that they can try a few more chemos to run and that K+ 7.5 is not a problem, let's just push Quinton in and give her a couple runs on dialysis.
Geez, we had to quietly call a priest in the middle of the night quite a few times because dear children would not let him near their dying parent's bed to administer Last Rites and let their mother or father to actually say their last devotions before ending on a vent.

Well that can be difficult at times - which is why the hospital I work at employs a palliative care team. We help with all kind of things and one of them is support with difficult conversations...

nutella, MSN, RN · Mar 3, 2016

You are so right. I work PCU, and have had a lot of hospice patients when I worked in med- surg. I feel like most inpatient hospice patients are under-medicated. The drugs are frequent and higher doses than usually given. Home hospice is the way to go! Good point!

A good inpatient palliative care team can help the primary care team including primary care nurse and MD to get the patient comfortable. With the expertise and support of a hospice and palliative care nurse patient can be more comfortable and primary care nurses have the support they need...

dec2007 · Mar 4, 2016

To me, self-determination is the key. I want the choice to opt out of intractable pain.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 4, 2016

I am of the opinion that anyone of sound mind and of age should be allowed to end their lives regardless of their health situation. We don't choose to live and no one should be forced to stay alive.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2016

It depends on your values and the population you're working with that influences your perspective.

I work LTC and palliative. Some people have a "good" death and go suddenly, or with loved ones at their bedside, or quietly, in their sleep.

Others.....it's horrific to watch, even with ATC pain medications and comfort care. They are wanting to die. Waiting and suffering. Many of these individuals would gladly end it if they could.

Tommy5677 · Mar 4, 2016

Right to die laws, as far as I know, only refer to terminal illness, not someone going through a normal or active dying process. We already have advance directives if you don't want to be kept alive against your wishes. It's totally different than right to die.

Tommy5677 · Mar 4, 2016

The great state of Oregon pioneered the The Right To Die with Washington state following suit and now others. The law in Oregon, as I'm sure it is in other states, only refers to terminal illness. It has nothing to do with advance directives or not wanting to be kept alive by artificial means or against your wishes. It's important to know the difference. One is euthanasia and the other is not. If I had a terminal illness and was racked with pain or trapped inside a useless body, you better believe I would exercise that right. I'm sick and tired of all the right wing loonies trying to abolish that right. If you don't want to do it, great. Just don't ever tell me what to do based on some twisted religious belief. This has nothing to with religion except your own. As far as I know, a physician must be present and is the one to administer the medications. The nurse may start the line and provide support to the patient and the family but he/she is not the one to give the meds. I'm not interested in debating this issue with the exception of ethical concerns. I will not engage with anyone based on religion.

Farawyn · Mar 4, 2016

The great state of Oregon pioneered the The Right To Die with Washington state following suit and now others. The law in Oregon, as I'm sure it is in other states, only refers to terminal illness. It has nothing to do with advance directives or not wanting to be kept alive by artificial means or against your wishes. It's important to know the difference. One is euthanasia and the other is not. If I had a terminal illness and was racked with pain or trapped inside a useless body, you better believe I would exercise that right. I'm sick and tired of all the right wing loonies trying to abolish that right. If you don't want to do it, great. Just don't ever tell me what to do based on some twisted religious belief. This has nothing to with religion except your own. As far as I know, a physician must be present and is the one to administer the medications. The nurse may start the line and provide support to the patient and the family but he/she is not the one to give the meds. I'm not interested in debating this issue with the exception of ethical concerns. I will not engage with anyone based on religion.

You brought it up.

Libby1987 · Mar 4, 2016

I don't understand how nurses can believe that all patients can be kept comfortable. "All" should be the first clue, layered with examples of patients who couldn't be kept comfortable. If you rather be witness than assist them out of their suffering with an expedited death fair enough but don't make untrue claims.

In hindsight, I wish I could've eased my beloved Dad with an immediate lethal injection. He was gone except for coorifice breathing for 12+ hours. Dilaudid drip and atropine. Nothing like dehydrating every last bit of a person. It was surreal and I was too exhausted from my own work day and travel then staying up all night with my first personal death to see it clearly enough. Acute palliative care with no palliative care staff at night in an affluent hospital. He had his hospice admission scheduled in 3 days but became septic and altered and dear fragile mom called EMS. I doubt though that hospice would have done much more, the only place to go would be ending his respirations and that would have been euthanasia.

I wish I would've been my usual clinical self and but I was just a daughter that night and will always regret not being as aggressive as he deserved. The nurses thought everything was fine, just another normal dying process. It wasn't fine. Those last 12 hours added nothing to his life, not a minute single good thing. He wasn't writhing, he wasn't even moving or expressive but there is no way anyone could call it comfortable. It almost makes me resentful that my fellow nurses think that it was good enough and would never under any circumstance end it. You wouldn't let your dog lay there like that for 12 hrs (maybe you would) but you would someone's human loved one, and insist it was ethical.