Voluntary Euthanasia

Nurses Activism

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I think one of the cruelest things we do is let patients lay in nursing home beds without the legal ability to terminate their own lives. I'd be interest in what other nurses think of this.

If you ask active people who are in their 40s and alert and you say to them "when you get older and you lose the capacity to know your surroundings and you no longer recognize your family members, and if you reach a point where someone has to change your brief in a bed or feed you your meals, would you prefer to live your life like that or would you prefer someone terminate your life painlessly and peacefully?"

What do you think most people's response would be???

Mine would be termination of my life! But guess what that is against the law in most states.

I'd be interested in knowing what other nurses think about this. We get trained over and over again about abuse. Well to me, the biggest abuse we commit is we do not allow Voluntary Euthanasia over laying in a soiled brief in a nursing home bed where we can't even feed ourselves anymore. Voluntary Euthanasia is illegal in all states and PAD is allowed only in Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Vermont.

Implying that lack of courage is the only reason someone would oppose euthanasia is narrow-minded, to say the least.

Do not ever say I am narrow minded. I have been there.. done that.. I pulled the plug on my FATHER.

It took much courage... to let him go.

He was dead on a vent.. . already cold .. with the Q sign.

Kissed his bald little head, said ...goodby poppa,see ya in heaven.

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Specializes in Transitional Nursing.
As someone who recently had to euthanize my seventeen year old cat, I take great offense to this statement. I did what I did because she was suffering, not because I didn't want to care for her. I had her for seventeen years! I spent a great deal of time caring for her and money on her and in the end, why would I allow her to continue to suffer from an irreversible illness when I could end her suffering forever?

Agree!

It would have been much easier on me if I let my lil' guy come home with me. I couldn't do it to him, he was suffering so much. I feel like I gave him the best gift I could have given him. I let him die in my arms, peacefully.

I also sobbed like a five year old, holding his floppy body, for about 10 minutes afterwards.

I think that is why I don't support euthanasia for humans, when they are responsive. I can't imagine that feeling in relation to a human being. *shudder*

I'm not talking about ending life support, or the last dose of morphine for a non-responsive end stage cancer patient, mind you.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
Agree!

It would have been much easier on me if I let my lil' guy come home with me. I couldn't do it to him, he was suffering so much. I feel like I gave him the best gift I could have given him. I let him die in my arms, peacefully.

I also sobbed like a five year old, holding his floppy body, for about 10 minutes afterwards.

I think that is why I don't support euthanasia for humans, when they are responsive. I can't imagine that feeling in relation to a human being. *shudder*

I'm not talking about ending life support, or the last dose of morphine for a non-responsive end stage cancer patient, mind you.

I'm confused, you don't support euthanasia when they are responsive? With euthanasia the person not only had to be responsive but A&O and take the medication yourself. I'm not sure what you were trying to say since you agreed that it's a kindness to end our pets suffering but not for people??

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Sure they do. You're suggesting it's better for someone to kill themselves in a way that may involve more suffering? Do they deserve to suffer?

I'm not in favor of someone suffering. I'm not in favor of people being hopelessly (and expensively) kept alive on machines for just a few more days.

I am in favor of withdrawal of care and believe that everyone has the right to end their suffering when they wish.

I am not, however, in favor of the patient involving someone else (me) in ending his or her suffering in an active manner. Premedicate with benzos and narcotics and withdraw the VAD, the ECMO, the ventilator and the vasoactive drips -- I'm fine with that. But actually euthanizing someone is different, and I don't believe anyone has the right to involve me in that against my will.

Bottom line: People have the right to die when and how they choose, but they do not have the right to involve me in actively killing them.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
I'm not in favor of someone suffering. I'm not in favor of people being hopelessly (and expensively) kept alive on machines for just a few more days.

I am in favor of withdrawal of care and believe that everyone has the right to end their suffering when they wish.

I am not, however, in favor of the patient involving someone else (me) in ending his or her suffering in an active manner. Premedicate with benzos and narcotics and withdraw the VAD, the ECMO, the ventilator and the vasoactive drips -- I'm fine with that. But actually euthanizing someone is different, and I don't believe anyone has the right to involve me in that against my will.

Bottom line: People have the right to die when and how they choose, but they do not have the right to involve me in actively killing them.

Absolutely, just like nurses don't assist with abortions or give blood because it goes against what they believe it. But just because someone doesn't believe in it doesn't mean it shouldn't be legal.

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As someone who recently had to euthanize my seventeen year old cat, I take great offense to this statement. I did what I did because she was suffering, not because I didn't want to care for her. I had her for seventeen years! I spent a great deal of time caring for her and money on her and in the end, why would I allow her to continue to suffer from an irreversible illness when I could end her suffering forever?

Right there with you, compadre. Put down one of the loves of my life.My WONDERFUL border collie with metz to the spine. It was just time.. to end her suffering.

Again... it takes cojones .. to make that decision.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I'm confused, you don't support euthanasia when they are responsive? With euthanasia the person not only had to be responsive but A&O and take the medication yourself. I'm not sure what you were trying to say since you agreed that it's a kindness to end our pets suffering but not for people??

Is that euthanasia? Because to me, that's assisted suicide. Euthanasia, in my mind, is when you end the life of someone (or animal) to end suffering. The decision is usually made by the caregiver, not the patient. When I think "voluntary" euthanasia, I'm thinking someone has decided at some point in their life, "if it comes to this, put me out of my misery" and at this point doctors/family are just carrying out those wishes.

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I'm not in favor of someone suffering. I'm not in favor of people being hopelessly (and expensively) kept alive on machines for just a few more days.

I am in favor of withdrawal of care and believe that everyone has the right to end their suffering when they wish.

I am not, however, in favor of the patient involving someone else (me) in ending his or her suffering in an active manner. Premedicate with benzos and narcotics and withdraw the VAD, the ECMO, the ventilator and the vasoactive drips -- I'm fine with that. But actually euthanizing someone is different, and I don't believe anyone has the right to involve me in that against my will.

Bottom line: People have the right to die when and how they choose, but they do not have the right to involve me in actively killing them.

Absolutely. However, if you cant do it.. find someone who can.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Do not ever say I am narrow minded. I have been there.. done that.. I pulled the plug on my FATHER.

It took much courage... to let him go.

He was dead on a vent.. . already cold .. with the Q sign.

Kissed his bald little head, said ...goodby poppa,see ya in heaven.

BTDT, I'm sorry you had to do that. We had to do that for a grandmother that I dearly loved. It was one of the hardest things in the world, but she was suffering.

I'm dealing with some serious illnesses, and while my faith opposes euthanasia, it's what I would want if things get bad for me again. I have a very detailed advanced directive, and my family knows its contents and agree with my wishes.

We can do a lot to make people comfortable in their last days, but it isn't always perfect.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
Is that euthanasia? Because to me, that's assisted suicide. Euthanasia, in my mind, is when you end the life of someone (or animal) to end suffering. The decision is usually made by the caregiver, not the patient. When I think "voluntary" euthanasia, I'm thinking someone has decided at some point in their life, "if it comes to this, put me out of my misery" and at this point doctors/family are just carrying out those wishes.

You are talking about withdrawing care or comfort care. Euthanasia is also called physician assisted suicide. It's done before the persons disease is so far progressed they can't make decisions for themselves. In the states where it's legal you have a bunch of hoops to jump through but bottom line is you have to be terminal and fill/take the medication yourself. It's for people who want to die with their dignity intact.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

A little off topic, but I'm just wondering... If a pt does physician assisted suicide, does it disqualify their family to receive any life insurance benefits for the patient, as can sometimes happen in suicide cases?

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
A little off topic, but I'm just wondering... If a pt does physician assisted suicide, does it disqualify their family to receive any life insurance benefits for the patient, as can sometimes happen in suicide cases?

Hmm that's a good question, I never thought of that aspect.

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