thoughts of end of life

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If a person is diagnosed with a terminal (meaning no chance of recovery ever), They should be allowed to chose the manner in which they exit this earth. I believe that allowing a patience to determine the dignity part of "death with dignity" in nursing roles is a vital part of what is essesential to the holistic care of the person. Think of it this way: You just found out you had Huntington's disease and you are cognitively aware of all the pain and advanced care that it will require to continue to survive. It is wrong for you, as the patient to not want to suffer an existence, but decide to fulfill all the last wishes of life and live it to the fullest until the onset of the pain and inability to care for yourself happens? In this situation, and many others I strongly feel that it is the patient who should decide and if they (the patient) feels that the pain and inability to care for themselves is not "dignified" and then chose to meet death on their terms (instead of societally imposed terms) why not provide them with the assistance that they would need. Looking at Fidelity, I am true to myself because I would want someone to do the same for me, if that is what I chose. Beneficence comes into play because spiritually (again using the holistic approach) the person is at peace and often times inflicting a spiritual wound to someone is worse than a physical one. Nonmalefience again, if the culture, spirituality and mindset of the patient would be harmed by not assisting, aren't you providing the bigger harm?

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I have to agree, for myself. Should I ever be diagnosed with a terminal situation, I will meet death on my own terms. It is unfortuante at this time that there is not legal assistance avaiable.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

List of reasons against euthanasia from the following website:

http://www.starcourse.org/euthanasia.htm

One good reason not to follow through with a euthanasia policy:

3. Legalising ‘voluntary euthanasia’ on the basis of excruciating ‘hard cases’ would result in its being routinely practiced on a large scale. Bad cases do not make good law. One leading medical ethicist said more than twenty years ago "We shall begin by doing it because the patient is in intolerable pain but we shall end up doing it because it is Friday afternoon and we want to get away for the weekend"[1]. The precedent of abortion is chilling: "Aging Advisory Services" would offer a 1-stop shop where you could pop in your inconvenient relatives and, for a suitable fee, euthanase them in your lunch-hour.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

i am writing a paper on assisted suicide as we speak. it's a very complex thought to wrap yourself around when you look at it from all angles.

if the cornerstone of nursing is to do no harm, which is more harm.... assisting a patient to end their life on their terms, allowing them to withhold life-saving measures such as CPR, hydration, nutrition and abx, or watching them suffer with an debilitating illness and no quality of life?

i dont know where i stand on it in the big scheme of things. but i know for me, i would rather die in peace, on my own terms.

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I'm a hospice nurse. Our goal is a peaceful death for our patients and we achieve that.

Euthanasia is illegal and against the ethics that I believe in.

I know a person can be helped at the end of life to have peace and little pain.

You should do some research about the hospice movement. It is fascinating.

steph

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
I'm a hospice nurse. Our goal is a peaceful death for our patients and we achieve that.

Euthanasia is illegal and against the ethics that I believe in.

I know a person can be helped at the end of life to have peace and little pain.

You should do some research about the hospice movement. It is fascinating.

steph

i did a research paper on florence sophie wald. she is a truly an amazing woman and nurse.

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC.

I am a hospice nurse, I believe in assisting pts to die with comfort, dignity, and peace. I could not ethically work somewhere and assist with euthanasia. There is a big difference there. I think that the dying process, when handled correctly is a time where the family can say their good byes and actually it does help with closure. A hospice death is so different from any other death I have attended. I have been at the bedside of a dying pt and been laughing and telling stories with the families. I tend to get them talking about the "good ole days" and in the end we all just sit there and remember the good qualities of the patient as they pass. My families tend to be comforted by this. I could never assist in taking a life.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

Dear NurseAlwaysAndForever,

I wish I had you (as a little bird on my shoulder) to comfort and tell the wonderful story you just did when a family at my hospital refuses hospice care. Thank you for your kind message!

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awww thanks

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Its so enduring to family, when you can give comfort to their dieing loved one. I've received my thanks through spiritual connections with their loved ones, but its more than just that, it's a feeling that is embedded with in that wish for no praise or audience, Its a natural thing to do. .....

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Dear NurseAlwaysAndForever,

I wish I had you (as a little bird on my shoulder) to comfort and tell the wonderful story you just did when a family at my hospital refuses hospice care. Thank you for your kind message!

It is hard for some people to accept hospice . . to them it means giving up but we try very hard to let them know that giving up is not our focus.

Still . . . . people say no.:(

steph

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Oregon has a Death with Dignity law.

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