...Euthanasia – dying peacefully and with dignity KEVORKIAN (to Wantz): ''Have you gotten any better?'' WANTZ: ''It's gotten much worse. I wish I could have done it a year ago or two years ago. ... I tried loading a gun, but I didn't know how to load one. If you do it yourself, you don't know what you're doing.'' KEVORKIAN: ''Were you tired or apprehensive when you tried it yourself?'' WANTZ: ''No. People say, 'Hang in there. ... ' (But) when you're in my shoes, then you tell me what to do. Until you are, don't tell me what to do.'' (Castaneda) The foregoing conversation took place and was recorded on October 22, 1991, between Doctor Jack Kevorkian, 63, (later nicknamed as “Dr. Death” due to his notorious physician-assisted suicide practice) and Marjorie Wantz, 58, who had sought his help in ending her life and continuous pain from the incurable disease she had. Wantz fulfilled her wish on the next day when she died while being linked to one of Kevorkian’s ''suicide machines''. This incident once again raised a heated debate whether euthanasia should be legalized, and whether doctors assisting in patient’s voluntary death should be freed of charges. In 1995 Special Senate Committee on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide defined euthanasia as “the deliberate act undertaken by one person with the intention of ending the life of another person in order to relieve that person’s suffering” (Law and Government Division). Despite the undeniable advantages of modern medicine in terms...
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...Physician-Assisted Suicide: Dying with Dignity Suicide is defined as “…being or performing a deliberate act resulting in the voluntary death of the person who does it” (Webster’s online dictionary). Suicide has been decriminalized in the US; but Physician-Assisted Suicide is legal in only three states, making it very difficult for terminally ill patients throughout the country to die with dignity. Although other states are considering this legality, only Oregon, Washington, and Montana can legally assist the terminally ill in suicide. With these laws in place, there are very strict guidelines that are followed for a patient to be eligible for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS). The Webster’s dictionary defines PAS as, “…suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent” (Webster’s online dictionary). Any terminally ill patient in any state, who has been given less than six months to live, should have the legal option to PAS. Patients have a right to refuse treatment; legally, they can commit suicide in their own homes, and they should be able to have the option of PAS. There are very strict guidelines for eligibility in the three states where PAS is legal. In his article, “Physician Assisted Suicide: A New Look at the Arguments”, J.M. Dieterle, a professor at Eastern Michigan University describes these guidelines in great length. The patient must be...
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...Dying With Dignity Gavin Proeh English 1 Ordinary people can change someone’s life. People who stand up for what is right and help others find dignity in their lives can be considered heroes. One does not need to win the Nobel Prize or be Superman to be considered heroic. In some cases, helping individuals accomplish tasks others find too difficult to tackle can be considered heroic. In the novel, A Lesson Before Dying, Earnest Gaines demonstrates that Paul Bonin, Grant Wiggins, and Jefferson define heroism by giving dignity to all individuals and giving respect to a disrespected community. Heroes disregard the racist codes of society by treating all people as equals. In the novel, Paul, a white man who works at the jail, recognizes the injustices in society, and insists on treating all people equally with kindness. Grant comes to the jail frequently to visit Jefferson and help him die with dignity. Paul forms a friendship with this young black teacher and their bond and desire to help Jefferson grows stronger and stronger. This friendship goes against segregation, and a partnership is formed that is based on trust and loyalty. Paul understands people and recognizes Grant’s pain when Grant visits a defeated Jefferson. A few days after the execution, Paul greats Grant with Jefferson’s notebook, “ If I could ever be of any help, I would like you to call on me. I mean that with all my heart”(255). Paul shows bravery by reaching across the racial...
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...DIGNITY IN END OF LIFE: THE ROLE OF NURSES BY (Student’s Name) Course Instructor Institution City, State Date Dignity in End of Life: The Role of Nurses LITERATURE REVIEW INTRODUCTION A literature review is a critical appraisal of researches that provides a comprehensive and up to date knowledge on a specific topic (Coughlan, Ryan and Cronin 2013). The purpose of literature review in nursing includes evaluating current practice and making recommendations for policy development and change. Thus, the purpose of this literature review is to establish the current perspectives of patients, family and nurses on the factors that improve dignity in the end of life. Resultantly, this literature review will explore the role of nurses’ based on the findings of the perspectives that patients, family and health professionals have concerning the issue of dignity in the end of life care. In that regard, the paper follows a systematic approach which involves an introduction that explains the concept of end of life and the types of end of life care available. The paper then proceeds to explore the concept of dignity as viewed from several perspectives through the use of literature on the models of dignity means of measuring dignity and the themes associated with this conception. Consequently, the factors that improve dignity are laid out and discussed at length. Eventually, the paper will achieve its secondary goal which is to determine and expound on the topic of the roles that a nurse...
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...Death and Dying How a positive attitude may help us to overcome death with dignity. Agnieszka Schultes North Island College ESL 090 Suzanne Schiller June 21, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENT 1. Introduction 3 2. Definition of Death 4 3. Religious Views of Death 6 4. Psychological Assessment of Death 8 5. Face to Face with Death 10 6. Facing Death with Dignity 12 7. Conclusion 14 8. References List 15 Introduction The human understanding of death and our own mortality seems to change drastically throughout history, as well as the various cognitive and physical developments experienced by different cultures. One can only begin understanding the concept of death clearly however, if they are to encounter an experience that is somehow related with it themselves. According to Frank Rosenzweig, a very famous Jewish theologian as well as scholar, in a study he and his colleagues previously conducted, they found out that: “by the age of 65, about 50% of women and 10% of men have suffered the loss of a spouse at least once…” (as cited in Kesler, 2003, p. 54). So, based on the research given above, one may safely assume that quite a few of us will eventually witness someone dying in a very personal manner; but the real question is, do we truly understand the nature of death? And what does our society, as well as religious beliefs, say about this understanding? Definition of Death In various...
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...SB-128 End of life option act According to Los Angeles Times reported that a 29-year-old woman named Brittany Maynard plans to end her own life. Diagnosed with stage four brain cancer, doctors told her that she would die quite possibly with a great deal of pain and loss of body and cognitive function within six months. After careful thought and discussion with her family, Maynard along with her husband, mother and stepfather moved from California to Oregon, where it is legal for terminally ill people of sound mind to seek aid in dying. It was not just a matter of crossing state lines. She had to change her driver's license and voter registration. She had to find new doctors and a new home. Her husband had to take a leave from his job and...
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...and die according to one’s desires and beliefs. Death with dignity is a national organization located in Oregon, which is non-partisan, non-profit that has led the legal defense and education of the Oregon law for nearly twenty years; however, the actual law for death with dignity was not passed until 1994 and due to legal issues, it became effective later in 1997. The Board of Directors for Death with Dignity Movements are some of the most esteemed medical, legal and scholarly experts, which are responsible for the political defense of the Oregon law and the promotion of death with dignity initiatives in other states. The Oregon Death with Dignity act has given patients what others might think or find deplorable a chance to die with dignity in their own terms. The Act allows mentally competent terminally ill adults who have six months or less to live receive, under strict safeguard, a prescription for life ending medication The goal of the Death with Dignity National Center is three fold: defend dignity, mobilize dignity, and preserve dignity. To Defend Dignity, the Death with Dignity National Center works with an “extensive and costly legal defense of the Oregon law, as well as coalition building providing the flexibility to rapid response to both legal and political challenges” (DWDNC, 2011). A second goal of the Death with Dignity National Center is to mobilize dignity. In mobilizing dignity, the Death with Dignity National Center “provides various educational and outreach...
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...euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves assisting someone that is dying so they die quicker and painlessly. Whereas, passive euthanasia involves letting someone that is sick die by not prolonging their life with medication. It does not involve “killing” them, but instead letting their ailment take them more slowly. Is one of these methods more humane than the other when someone is dying? Is it more acceptable to let someone suffer for a longer period of time? Or would it be better to assist someone that is dying to end his or her life with dignity? 3. Position Statement Someone that is ready to die should be allowed to chance to die with dignity and with active euthanasia, as long as they are in the right frame of mind to make that decision. 4. Supporting Reason Allowing someone that is terminally ill or dying to die with dignity gives respect to the person in his or her last days. If someone is dying and they want to end their life, and not suffer, they should be allowed to have help from doctors to make that decision. The alternative would be to have them suffer for the remainder of their days, waiting for their time to die. This can cause depression and feelings of hopelessness. Not a good way to spend ones last days. 5. Opposing Reason Some feel that active euthanasia gives someone as out, and the ability to die, when there may be other alternatives. Such as, how does one know that they are really dying? What if there is a cure that comes about and a chance to...
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...United Church of Christ: The Church affirms individual freedom and responsibility. It has not asserted that hastened dying is the Christian position, but the right to choose is a legitimate Christian decision. Mainline and Liberal Christian denominations: Pro-choice statements have been made by the United Church of Christ, and the Methodist Church on the US West coast. The 'Episcopalian (Anglican) Unitarian, Methodist, Presbyterian and Quaker movements are amongst the most liberal, allowing at least individual decision making in cases of active euthanasia The BBC wrote in an Aug. 3, 2009 online article titled "Religion & Ethics - Christianity: Euthanasia - the Christian View" on www.bbc.co.uk: "Christians are mostly against euthanasia. The arguments are usually based on the beliefs that life is given by God, and that human beings are made in God's image. Some churches also emphasise the importance of not interfering with the natural process of death... Christians believe that the intrinsic dignity and value of human lives means that the value of each human life is identical. They don't think that human dignity and value are measured by mobility, intelligence, or any achievements in life. Valuing human beings as equal just because they are human beings has clear implications for thinking about euthanasia: • patients in a persistent vegetative state, although seriously damaged, remain living human beings, and so their intrinsic value remains the same as anyone...
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...What would you do if you were dying from the great pain? It is not surprising that there are many people in the world have to encounter with the end of life every single day. Some people died young and some passed away when they reach their aged. But because of the terminal illness, someone decided to cut the last breath of their life with dignity and called it as the euthanasia. It turned out that it has two sides about the point of view towards the euthanasia issue in a positive and negative ways. Although some people against these ideas and claim that it is an unacceptable manner, I certainly disagree about that because it can be proved that the euthanasia is one of the most peaceful ways to escape the great pain for dying people. Euthanasia can be one of the way to relieve the pain and suffering for dying people. As everyone knows that people who have to struggle with the terminal illness always end up in physical and psychological suffering, so some of them wanted to die before the pain is getting worse. According to the news of the Telegraph in 2008 which reported about Val McKay, the British woman who was diagnosed with the multiple sclerosis. She commented with the reporter before she went to the Dignitas, where is the only Swiss facility to accept foreigners for the euthanasia that people should not suffer with their illness, they should...
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...Legal and Ethical aspects of Assisted Suicide Paula Nehrling Grand Canyon University Introduction to Nursing Research NRS-433V Angie Lawson May 01, 2016 Legal and Ethical aspects of Assisted Suicide Only five states in the US have legalized physician assisted death. California is the latest to legalize this and it will be available here in less than a month. There are many legal and ethical questions that nurses have. Some feel like this is murder or against their religious beliefs and others feel like people should have the right to die with dignity. The Oregon death with dignity act was passed more than 20 years ago in 1994, though legal challenges delayed enactment until 1997. Washington followed in 2008, since this time, Montana and Vermont has passed laws supporting physician assisted death. California has passed legislation and will begin next month (Ganzini, L., 2016). The process is very similar in each of these states. They allow a competent adult resident of that state to obtain a prescription from a physician for a lethal dose of medication, for the purposes of causing death through self administration. The law does not allow lethal injection or allow individuals to acquire a lethal prescription through advanced directive to be used when mentally incapable in the future. There are also limits as to when the prescription can be written. Two physicians, one of whom writes the prescription, must confirm that the...
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...throughout the United States of America have continuously tried to legalize it, and Oregon, Washington, Montana, Vermont, and California being successful in that endeavor. Within the last couple centuries the public has brought attention to many issues and discussions regarding or involving physician assisted suicide as well as euthanasia from many different views and perspectives. Howard Ball is a supporter of physician assisted death in his article “Physician Assisted Death in America: Ethics, Law, and Policy Conflicts”, Ball addresses how the PAD arguments started in America, how views of PAD have changed overtime and what terminally ill patients have to deal with when making end of life decisions. I believe in the opportunity to die with dignity, in having the option to end your life when it is time, and in the comforts of your own home. I believe that in the end, this isn’t about death and when to die, it is all about the option, the opportunity and the choice that one should be given. Most could agree that Dr. Jack Kevorkian may have taken physician assisted suicide too far as Ball confronts how Kevorkian drove door to door and assisted his patients with death, of which not all were going to die from an illness and his patients were not necessarily mental stable. A patient’s...
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...to live a good life, everyone deserves to have a peaceful death. Everyone is aware that death is a part of life. We all know that someday we have to die, so why should people who are dependent on machines to live, not have the opportunity to die with dignity and have a peacefull death? In 2010, 67% of the incurably sick people would like assisted dying, but because it is not legal in Denmark, these people renounced the right for the treatment of their illness. When a person is avoiding a painful and slow death, then they have a peaceful death. The incurably sick people do also have the opportunity to say goodbye to the people they love, instead of dying unexpected, and not have the possibility to say the last words to the people they love. Using the medical resources on living instead of on the dying would be cleverer. Spending money on keeping people, who do not want to live, alive makes no sense. Instead, Denmark should spent the money on people who will recover. Denmark should spent money on free hospital-beds for people who will recover, so it can help the people who actually want to live. Make euthanasia legal for everyone, would not be a good idea. Euthanasia should only be legalized to help sick people die with dignity....
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...Euthanasia and Death with Dignity Euthanasia is an ethical decision making dilemma that borders on the philosophical and shakes the foundations of nursing beliefs in patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence. It is an ugly concept for which many cringe and shy away from. It must be differentiated between the concepts of willfully causing death versus restraint from aggressive medical treatment when such procedures would cause no change in the outcome of the illness. This is sometimes referred to as death with dignity or palliative care, which is the “relief from pain and other distressing symptoms…” and “intends neither to hasten nor postpone death” (World Health Organization, 2011). This is the premise we intend to deconstruct. Euthantos, Greek for “good death”, translated as euthanasia in modern terms (Zerwekh, 2005), is commonly mistaken as the willful cause of death in persons unable to make decisions such as those with mental illness or defect. In actuality, there are different types of euthanasia; passive euthanasia, the hastening death by an act, or lack thereof, and voluntary/active euthanasia, known as physician assisted suicide. The nursing code of ethics forces us to take no part in actively ending a life, but where is the line drawn in accepting a patients wish to refrain from live saving measurements? Patients who wish to die with dignity should be afforded the right to determine their course of treatment and practitioners, at the very least, should respect...
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...* Quality of life - only the patient is really aware of what it is like to experience intractable (persistent, unstoppable) suffering; even with pain relievers. Those who have not experienced it cannot fully appreciate what effect it has on quality of life. Apart from physical pain, overcoming the emotional pain of losing independence is an additional factor that only the patient comprehends fully. * Dignity - every individual should be given the ability to die with dignity. Prolongation of dying - if the dying process is unpleasant, the patient should have the right to reduce this unpleasantness. In medicine, the prolongation of living may sometimes turn into the prolongation of dying. Put simply - why should be patient be forced to experience a slow death? Most physicians have received one or more requests to help a patient end his or her life prematurely. This module focuses on the skills that the physician can use to respond both compassionately and with confidence to a request, not on the merits of arguments for or against legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) or euthanasia, but using solid clinical skills. To respond effectively, physicians must know the reasons why patients ask for assistance. Depression, psychosocial factors, and anticipated distress are common reasons, but current physical suffering can also be a factor. Physicians need to be able to assess the root causes of the specific request, make a commitment to the patient’s care, address each...
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