I think that the respect of patient's autonomy in today's policy and values is sufficient enough. In Dax's case, there were less respect of patient's autonomy relative to today's world where people say "do what you do" is more common and more respected. I think that there will always be a clash between family members, doctors, and the patients themselves. I, a person who has an Asian background, probably had the typical problem with dying family, specifically my grandfather. My grandfather was in hospital for months and the hospital bill just keeps mounting. So, my grandfather decided to go home and just take the necessary medications until he died soon after he got out of the hospital. But, my grandmother and mother did not want him to go…
I live with someone who is in the medical field (my fiancé) and hear about the constant struggles in working in this field. From hearing about accounts there can be struggles amongst the patients, doctors, nurses, and others on many different levels. Among of which are ethical dilemmas in the field. The article “Case Twenty-Three: A Fevered Hand on a Cooling Brow—The Nurse’s Role in Aid-In-Dying.” In Action: Cased-Based Approach, by Peggy Connolly, David R. Keller, Martin G. Leever, and Becky Cox White deal with one of these issues regarding the assistance to suicide with nurses in the medical field.…
Instead of embracing this act of death, we should respond to suffering with compassion and solidarity. (Anderson, Screen 1) Many of the patients seeking to end their lives in this way usually suffer from depression or other mental illnesses, but also from loneliness. Instead of us giving them pills to kill them, the doctors should provide the suitable medical care they need. As for the patients in physical pain, pain management drugs can be administered to improve their quality of life. The terminally ill patients are provided with hospice care and fellowship to accompany them on their last days of life. Doctors should help their patients die a dignified death of natural causes, not assist in killing them. (Anderson, Screen 1) Physicians take the oath to always heal and care, never to kill intentionally. Palliative care focuses on the patient’s quality of life and improving it by alleviating pain and other distressing symptoms of a serious illness. At any age or stage in illness, palliative care is available to help improve the patient’s life as a whole. It does not matter if the illness is curable, chronic, or even life-threatening, medicine can improve your symptoms dramatically, helping you live with your…
The simple principles of medical ethics are “to avoid harm”, “to do well”, “the right to act freely”, and “acting fairly towards the patient”. Doctors should try to save patient’s life instead of ending it. They have the responsibility not to kill the trusting patients, but give all their best to secure the life of their patients. Even if the patients are hard to cure, they should still try and not make euthanasia an option. Therefore, doctors do not have the right to decide whether their patients would live or die as long as their patients are alive, there is always a hope for curing. For instance, many European countries are legalizing euthanasia. Unfortunately, not only doctors, but also nurses are favoring euthanasia in the extreme…
I have analyzed this situation from the perspective of a Utilitarian and my own viewpoints which go hand in hand. While others may see this as morally wrong and believe it goes against a physician’s ethical code of conduct, I completely disagree. I find the physicians who have the compassion to help these patients to relieve their suffering for once and for all to be truly inspiring even when so many people will pass judgements and disagree with their decision. As I stated before, doctors have very hard jobs and constantly have people judge and disapprove of their methods and treatments and I find it admirable that they still make the best decisions and take the patients best interests into consideration, even if that means assisting their…
Early access to palliative care can make a devastating experience easier for everyone involved. The majority of children with advanced, life-limiting illnesses only receive the support and care they need during their last days. Weeks and even months go by during which they experience unnecessary physical pain, emotional distress, and receive unwanted or unneeded treatment. This is why effective communication between health care providers, the child, and the family members is a vital part of this process.…
Compassion fatigue is most frequently reported amongst nurses, doctors and other frontline care providers in direct interaction with patients. This condition significantly effects these professionals’ interaction with patients, with families of patients and even with other health workers. In extreme cases, problems in interaction with own family has been reported according to Reese (2009). Reese (2009) further states there is an increasingly awareness of the profound emotional disturbances that occur in health care providers when they witness the pain and suffering of the patients in the face of an incurable disease such as cancer. Care providers are often partners in the journey of the patients they are attending. At present, an understanding of the effects of the treatment of terminally ill on the caregiver is limited.…
The people in hospice care usually are diagnosed with terminal diseases, cancer, dementia, or other fatal conditions. The quality of life for these patients tends to continuously decline the longer they remain in hospice care. Not all patients in hospice care want assisted suicide but there are many that feel it’s the only way to end their pain. The nurses and doctors of these patients spend time cleaning patients, helping them do basic everyday tasks that they aren’t able to do themselves, and constantly trying to keep them alive. Whereas these health care providers could be spending their time trying to save a healthy patient that has a chance of living.…
Nobody wants to die, but death is an inevitable and complex phenomena. To say goodbye to loved one is always difficult. In some cases, it is harder when death comes sooner than later by some serious diagnosis. I think the most important point that a health-care professional needs to consider on the subject of death, dying or grieving is to respect the wishes of patients and families. Health-care professionals should provide training and education about death, dying, and bereavement to the families. Also, healthcare providers should be familiar with the ethics and cultures of the patients and families which they belong to. Death, dying or grieving processes can be culturally or traditionally different among patients. “Some physicians can keep…
As a society we associate doctors and health care professionals with the idea of healing; and having physicians be able to assist in the suicide of a patient might alter people’s opinion on doctors as a whole. In Jon Fullers article, “Physician-Assisted Suicide: An unnecessary Crisis”, he states, “granting [this] power to physicians would sully subconscious image[s] of the healer” (Fuller 10). Fuller believes that allowing physicians to take part in ending someones life, would change how health care professions are viewed. Fuller also writes that participating in the,“ taking of life crosses a threshold and threatens the trust in beneficence that is the root of the physician-patient relationship”(12). It takes a strong relationship between doctor and patient to come to the consensus that there are no other options for that patient. There has to be a great deal of trust for a patient to believe the physicians profession opinion on their course of treatment is accurate. For the patient having the their doctor help them end their life is an act of beneficence. The laws for physician assisted suicide are clear on the fact that the patient must be terminal with less than six months to live. Many people choose physician assisted suicide because they don’t want those last six months to be full of suffering and the worse months of their life. To the patients…
Currently, in the United States, 12% of states, including Vermont, Oregon, and California have legalized the Right to Die. This debate around whether or not to help patients who have terminal illness end their lives has been and is still far from over. The definition of Right to Die is, “an individual who has been certified by a physician as having an illness or physical condition which can be reasonably be expected to result in death in 24 months or less after the date of the certification” (Terminally Ill Law & Legal Definition 1). With this definition, the Right to Die ought to be available to any person that is determined terminally ill, as determined by a professional.…
There are individuals I have met who have been tired of fighting their cancer and decide to give in. Their lives change drastically and not only are they affected, but those who care for them are as well. It can be so hard to live through such pain and changes. The treatments offered often are not beneficial or painless. Dealing with a lifestyle change, constant pain, and huge medical bills can be extremely stressful. These are just some of the reasons many terminally ill patients, look into a physician assisted suicide. For these same exact reasons, patients have every right to decide when they can’t take the pain any longer.…
Doctors are compelled to treat a patient no matter the cause. It is hard to alleviate someone who is deceased and acrimonious to those around them to watch a loved waste their life. It is part of a doctor’s duty. (idea 1)Here was an anorexic person that figured things out quote:” I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it." by Rita Brown and also a quote by a genius of his time, to show how difficult getting over a trained mind can be: "I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” by Aristotle.(weightingthefacts 1)…
Terminal illnesses such as cancer not only affect the patient, but the families of the patients suffer as well. Medicine can only do so much and when it doesn't work like it should the family has to see their loved one suffer unnecessarily. Often that is the last memory they have of their loved one and it should be a good memory instead of a bad one. If chronically ill patients could choose to die they could have their families with them to say goodbye and be at peace about every thing. There would be no regrets or what ifs.…
In a new book, A Miracle and a Privilege, Dr Francis Moore, 81, of Harvard Medical School, discusses a lifetime of grappling with the issue of when to help a patient die. An excerpt:…