I'm watching an OLD episode of Chicago Hope on Discovery Health channel. This episode, a doctor went to court to try and have a morphine drip increased for a patient in a vegitative state up to a fatal dose.
What I found disturbing was one...at one point, the doctor ordered a nurse to adminster it, and she refused. He then proceded to scream and yell at her. Her nurse supervisor told her "Don't you see what you've done? This is done in silence all the time, but now its on the record!"
The doctors said the same thing, how euthanaisa goes on every day in the U.S. with a "wink" between Dr's and families. Has anyone ever heard of this? I'm almost halfway through an ADN program, have worked a year as a CNA and know lots of doctors and nurses and have never heard of this. I just found it highly disturbing. I don't like to see people suffer, but I also don't like to see doctors playing God either.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
there is a suit up before the supreme court about oregon's assisted suicide law...why it is legal in oregon and dr keforkian is in jail is something i can't say
i would not want to linger in pain...i would not want my kids to have to make that choice which could haunt them for the rest of their lives of whether they had made the right choice or not
i end of the road and they wanted their loved one to be in some degree of comfort
my problem with that oregon law is that it's euthanasia. this "assisted suicide" is for the birds! if you're terminally ill and you'd like to be put out of your misery, i can understand that. and if you can hoard your pain meds or sleeping pills or whatever to take a fatal dose, more power to you! that's suicide. my church tells me it's a sin, but maybe yours doesn't.
i draw the line at involving someone else who will then have to live with that choice for the rest of their lives. the minute someone else is involved, it's no longer suicide. furthermore, if the law is subsequently changed, there is talk of going back and suing all the health care professionals who participated in euthanasia ("assisted suicide.")
my problem with that oregon law is that it's euthanasia. this "assisted suicide" is for the birds! if you're terminally ill and you'd like to be put out of your misery, i can understand that. and if you can hoard your pain meds or sleeping pills or whatever to take a fatal dose, more power to you! that's suicide. my church tells me it's a sin, but maybe yours doesn't.
i draw the line at involving someone else who will then have to live with that choice for the rest of their lives. the minute someone else is involved, it's no longer suicide. furthermore, if the law is subsequently changed, there is talk of going back and suing all the health care professionals who participated in euthanasia ("assisted suicide.")
i attended a seminar on this stuff a few years ago. assisted suicide is a doctor or someone providing a fatal dose, but the patient adminstering it themselves. euthanasia is the dr himself adminstering the fatal dose, though they sound pretty much the same to me.
one interesting point one psychologist brought up who'd done a study on it said that most of the terminal patients he'd interviewed stated that their wish to die was more influenced by a. the feeling that their families wanted them dead sooner (financial reasons, etc) and b. depression.
not that its not normal to be depressed, but hte point he was getting at was, by legalizing this, theres too much propensity for abuse. people shouldn't be euthanized becuase junior wants mom to die before his inheritance is spent.
I'm watching an OLD episode of Chicago Hope on Discovery Health channel. This episode, a doctor went to court to try and have a morphine drip increased for a patient in a vegitative state up to a fatal dose.
What I found disturbing was one...at one point, the doctor ordered a nurse to adminster it, and she refused. He then proceded to scream and yell at her. Her nurse supervisor told her "Don't you see what you've done? This is done in silence all the time, but now its on the record!"
The doctors said the same thing, how euthanaisa goes on every day in the U.S. with a "wink" between Dr's and families. Has anyone ever heard of this? I'm almost halfway through an ADN program, have worked a year as a CNA and know lots of doctors and nurses and have never heard of this. I just found it highly disturbing. I don't like to see people suffer, but I also don't like to see doctors playing God either.
That is just a television drama--I worked in ICU/CCU for many years and never ran in to anthing like that--you need to separate tv from reality--
That is just a television drama--I worked in ICU/CCU for many years and never ran in to anthing like that--you need to separate tv from reality--
You know, there isn't any need for sarcasm or rudness, it was a question. Did you read all of my post and any of posts after? I'm quite aware of the differences in TV and reality.
Some people are not able to give themselves the medicines that would ease their passage. I agree that there is the potential for abuse and that euthanasia must be carefully monitored both for the patient and for the administrator's sake. I do not like it when any one interferes with another's choices. If there are people who are willing to perform these services for those who cannot then as long as it is a consenting adult they should be allowed to make any mistaken that does not harm another.
There is a suit up before the supreme court about oregon's assisted suicide law...why it is legal in oregon and dr keforkian is in jail is something i can't say
Because what Kervorkian did is not legal in Oregon.
my problem with that oregon law is that it's euthanasia. this "assisted suicide" is for the birds! if you're terminally ill and you'd like to be put out of your misery, i can understand that. and if you can hoard your pain meds or sleeping pills or whatever to take a fatal dose, more power to you! that's suicide. my church tells me it's a sin, but maybe yours doesn't.
i draw the line at involving someone else who will then have to live with that choice for the rest of their lives. the minute someone else is involved, it's no longer suicide. furthermore, if the law is subsequently changed, there is talk of going back and suing all the health care professionals who participated in euthanasia ("assisted suicide.")
you might want to look into the oregon law a little more. this is actually a very common misconception, but no one is allowed to administer a fatal dose of anything to anyone in oregon.
Some people are not able to give themselves the medicines that would ease their passage.
Then in Oregon (please forgive the flippancy) they are out of luck. Once they get to a point where they cannot self administer their prescription, then they are no longer eligible. It cannot be done for them under this law.
Here's where to read the text of the Oregon law, for anyone who's interested.
Then in Oregon (please forgive the flippancy) they are out of luck. Once they get to a point where they cannot self administer their prescription, then they are no longer eligible. It cannot be done for them under this law.
I agree with fergus51. We administer potentially fatal doses every day, but not to kill someone. If they are at deaths door and in agony, we medicate the heck out of them. Sometimes the window between a fatal dose, and a merciful, pain relieving dose, is very narrow.
I have been a LPN for only a short period of time. I have however previouslly been a CNA for 20 years. In any case, I feel that the few instances I have administered morphine to a dying patient that it was justified. What I mean by this is: When morphine is ordered for a dying patient, we must keep in mind that whether we view a dose as fatal or not, the patient's condition is already severly compromised. Morphine can also have the tendency to suppress the respiratory system, which in my opinion can be a blessing to those with terminal illness that appear to be struggling for breath.
Has anyone ever heard of this? I'm almost halfway through an ADN program, have worked a year as a CNA and know lots of doctors and nurses and have never heard of this. I just found it highly disturbing. I don't like to see people suffer, but I also don't like to see doctors playing God either.
I work in LTC with Alzheimers patients. Ive heard of it. Its called "hospice".
Ruby Vee, BSN
17 Articles; 14,051 Posts
my problem with that oregon law is that it's euthanasia. this "assisted suicide" is for the birds! if you're terminally ill and you'd like to be put out of your misery, i can understand that. and if you can hoard your pain meds or sleeping pills or whatever to take a fatal dose, more power to you! that's suicide. my church tells me it's a sin, but maybe yours doesn't.
i draw the line at involving someone else who will then have to live with that choice for the rest of their lives. the minute someone else is involved, it's no longer suicide. furthermore, if the law is subsequently changed, there is talk of going back and suing all the health care professionals who participated in euthanasia ("assisted suicide.")