The Nurse's Role In Euthanasia
Analysis of an Ethical Dilemma: Euthanasia
Allison Marine
Hanna Easter-Baker
Phuong Tran
Tiffany Jones
Grand Canyon University
Author Note
A CLC Yellow Group Assignment for Week # 4 for The Course “Ethical Decision Making in Health Care”
The Nurse’s Role in Euthanasia
A nurse’s primary responsibility is providing patient care in a responsible, safe, and ethical manner. In a scenario such as voluntary euthanasia, the nurse’s involvement consists of supporting the patient, their family members, and the other health care staff once the life-terminating act begins (De Bal, Gastmans, & Verpoort, 2006). Sometimes, the best thing the nurse can do in a situation such as this is to simply be present, offer support, and keep in mind the ethical principles …show more content…
involved in euthanasia, which include beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice. Autonomy is an important aspect because the nurse is respecting the person’s right to make their self-determined course of action, which in this case is death. The nurse must remember to display a sense of openness and not discouragement for it is the patient’s wishes (De Bal, Gastmans, & Verpoort, 2006). All options and scenarios should be discussed with the patient and their family (De Bal, Gastmans, & Verpoort, 2006). Nurses need to keep in mind the five necessary conditions for an individual to even be considered a candidate for voluntary euthanasia. The nurse must ask themselves is the patient suffering from a terminal illness, are they unlikely to sustain a beneficial life for the rest of their life expectancy, is their suffering or intolerable pain in relation to their illness, have they expressed an enduring and competent wish to die, and are they unable to commit suicide without assistance (SEP, 2010)? Making a choice, or helping someone make the choice to end their life is a difficult situation, but the nurse needs to stay strong, and provide the family and the patient with the appropriate facts to help make an informed decision.
The Stakeholders A stakeholder is defined as anyone who is affected by a decision that is made during an ethical dilemma (Fowler, 2014).
With voluntary euthanasia, many people are affected by the decision that is made beyond just the patient. These people can also include the family and friends of the patient , and even the health care professionals that were involved. However, with the particular scenario in “Confronting Death: Who Chooses? Who Controls? A Dialogue between Dax Cowart and Robert Burt”, the primary stakeholder would be Dax Cowart. The article did not discuss or even mention his family, or of any other people who were involved, or were directly affected by his decision. His initial choice was voluntary euthanasia, but after long discussions, and enduring painful treatments for over a year he finally decided to move forward. Cowart even said that it took him almost seven years to feel somewhat normal again, and regain his life back (Burt, 1998).
Influence of Stakeholders. All of the ethical and Legal questions that is arising out euthanasia for adults may be categorized by the interests of the various stakeholders: the patients, physicians, hospitals, families, and the whole of society. These stakeholders have both conflicting and complementary interests and the shifting of these interests through time has shaped the history of thinking about the decisions involved with regards to euthanasia. (Carton R., …show more content…
1990)
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Euthanasia
We often think that the law and ethics are often both one and the same and though law often embodies ethical principles, however, ethical obligations typically exceed legal duties, and in some cases, the law mandates unethical conduct (AMA, 1994). In an ethical dilemma however, in there are cases where the ethics and the law are both at a loss, and one of these is with regards to euthanasia.
Legality of Euthanasia
Laws involving voluntary euthanasia (VE) differ from state to state.
Three states including Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have legalized VE by legislation and Montana legalized it by court ruling (ProCon.org, 2014). On the other hand, 46 states and Washington DC consider VE illegal (ProCon.org, 2014). They have passed state laws that specifically prohibit VE. In the states that prohibit euthanasia, any health care provider practicing it will be punished and charged with murder (Smith, 2002). It is a felony akin to manslaughter in most states, and the federal government has outlawed the use of federal funding in euthanasia cases (Smith,
2002).
Euthanasia, Ethics, Morality, and Social Values
The impact euthanasia has on social values, morals, and nursing all differ from person to person. A person with a strong belief in God or a higher power may view euthanasia as a sin; the physician would be acting as God and not allowing God to have total control, therefore most Muslim and Christians do not agree with euthanasia. While human right activist, believe that the person has the right to make a decision on life and death in a time of suffering and euthanasia should be apart of that human right (BanoviĆ& Turanjanin, 2014). The writer believes that the nurse that has to confront the dilemma of euthanizing or assisting a physician in euthanizing in the institutions were it is legal, would have to evaluate and have a thorough understanding of there own personal moral, values, and ethics. The nurse could then decide whether or not to be involved with a facility that euthanizes based on their personal feelings and beliefs.
Personal Ethics. Euthanasia differs from person to person, based on each person’s understanding of life here on earth, their religious preferences, and what they believe will occur in the afterlife. Because of the controversy involved with euthanasia, the writers believe that the best ethical theory that can be applied to and addressed by euthanasia is “Ethical Relativism”. Ethical Relativism is a theory that recognizes that “morality is relative to the norms of one 's culture” (ANA, 2011). In Ethical relativism, the theory indicates that before any decision is made the content involved with that decision must be determined, because there is no absolute in ethics and the moral obligations vary from person to person (ANA, 2011).
Conclusion
The issues regarding decision about human life and their legal and ethical aspects has always been a volatile topic, be it the issue of abortion, experimentation, suicide and this groups topic, Euthanasia. The Group believes that as nurses who are confronted with the ethical dilemma that is Euthanasia, there must first be an understanding of the cultural background, family dynamics, as well as the particulars of the situation that is being evaluated. Euthanasia is unfortunately a moral gray area, and there are no clear wrong or right answers, but as nurses, it is our moral and professional obligation to try and resolve whether or not it is acceptable to sustain the life of a suffering human being who no longer wants to live, or if it is ethical to end a life in a humane fashion for someone who may be unable to speak for themselves. The writers of this paper collectively believe that a person’s viewpoint regarding euthanasia is akin to spiritual belief in that it varies among individuals, and unless a general consensus can be reached, the ethical dilemma known as euthanasia will forever live on.
References
American Medical Association (1994) The Relation Of Law and Ethics retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion102.page?
American Nurses Association. (2011). Short definitions of ethical principles and theories. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Resources/Ethics-Definitions.pdf
BanoviĆ, B., & Turanjanin, V. (2014). Euthanasia: Murder or Not: A Comparative Approach. Iranian Journal Of Public Health, 43(10), 1316-1323.
Burt, R. A. (1998). Confronting Death: Who Chooses? Who Controls? A Dialogue between Dax Cowart and Robert Burt. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1702&context=fss_papers
Carton R. (1990) The road to euthanasia. Journal of the American Medical Association
Fowler, S. (2014). What Are Stakeholders & Ethical Dilemmas? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8100582_stakeholders-ethical-dilemmas.html
De Bal, N., Gastmans, C., & Verpoort, C. (2006, April). Nurses ' views on their involvement in euthanasia: a qualitative study in Flanders. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2565778/
ProCon.org. (2014). State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide - Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132
Schiavo, T. (n.d.). Facts About Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://www.terrisfight.org/facts-about-euthanasia/
Smith, W. (2002). Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/euthanasia.aspx
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [SEP]. (2010). Voluntary Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/euthanasia-voluntary/
Allison Marine
Hanna Easter-Baker
Phuong Tran
Tiffany Jones
Grand Canyon University
Author Note
A CLC Yellow Group Assignment for Week # 4 for The Course “Ethical Decision Making in Health Care”
The Nurse’s Role in Euthanasia
A nurse’s primary responsibility is providing patient care in a responsible, safe, and ethical manner. In a scenario such as voluntary euthanasia, the nurse’s involvement consists of supporting the patient, their family members, and the other health care staff once the life-terminating act begins (De Bal, Gastmans, & Verpoort, 2006). Sometimes, the best thing the nurse can do in a situation such as this is to simply be present, offer support, and keep in mind the ethical principles …show more content…
involved in euthanasia, which include beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice. Autonomy is an important aspect because the nurse is respecting the person’s right to make their self-determined course of action, which in this case is death. The nurse must remember to display a sense of openness and not discouragement for it is the patient’s wishes (De Bal, Gastmans, & Verpoort, 2006). All options and scenarios should be discussed with the patient and their family (De Bal, Gastmans, & Verpoort, 2006). Nurses need to keep in mind the five necessary conditions for an individual to even be considered a candidate for voluntary euthanasia. The nurse must ask themselves is the patient suffering from a terminal illness, are they unlikely to sustain a beneficial life for the rest of their life expectancy, is their suffering or intolerable pain in relation to their illness, have they expressed an enduring and competent wish to die, and are they unable to commit suicide without assistance (SEP, 2010)? Making a choice, or helping someone make the choice to end their life is a difficult situation, but the nurse needs to stay strong, and provide the family and the patient with the appropriate facts to help make an informed decision.
The Stakeholders A stakeholder is defined as anyone who is affected by a decision that is made during an ethical dilemma (Fowler, 2014).
With voluntary euthanasia, many people are affected by the decision that is made beyond just the patient. These people can also include the family and friends of the patient , and even the health care professionals that were involved. However, with the particular scenario in “Confronting Death: Who Chooses? Who Controls? A Dialogue between Dax Cowart and Robert Burt”, the primary stakeholder would be Dax Cowart. The article did not discuss or even mention his family, or of any other people who were involved, or were directly affected by his decision. His initial choice was voluntary euthanasia, but after long discussions, and enduring painful treatments for over a year he finally decided to move forward. Cowart even said that it took him almost seven years to feel somewhat normal again, and regain his life back (Burt, 1998).
Influence of Stakeholders. All of the ethical and Legal questions that is arising out euthanasia for adults may be categorized by the interests of the various stakeholders: the patients, physicians, hospitals, families, and the whole of society. These stakeholders have both conflicting and complementary interests and the shifting of these interests through time has shaped the history of thinking about the decisions involved with regards to euthanasia. (Carton R., …show more content…
1990)
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Euthanasia
We often think that the law and ethics are often both one and the same and though law often embodies ethical principles, however, ethical obligations typically exceed legal duties, and in some cases, the law mandates unethical conduct (AMA, 1994). In an ethical dilemma however, in there are cases where the ethics and the law are both at a loss, and one of these is with regards to euthanasia.
Legality of Euthanasia
Laws involving voluntary euthanasia (VE) differ from state to state.
Three states including Oregon, Vermont, and Washington have legalized VE by legislation and Montana legalized it by court ruling (ProCon.org, 2014). On the other hand, 46 states and Washington DC consider VE illegal (ProCon.org, 2014). They have passed state laws that specifically prohibit VE. In the states that prohibit euthanasia, any health care provider practicing it will be punished and charged with murder (Smith, 2002). It is a felony akin to manslaughter in most states, and the federal government has outlawed the use of federal funding in euthanasia cases (Smith,
2002).
Euthanasia, Ethics, Morality, and Social Values
The impact euthanasia has on social values, morals, and nursing all differ from person to person. A person with a strong belief in God or a higher power may view euthanasia as a sin; the physician would be acting as God and not allowing God to have total control, therefore most Muslim and Christians do not agree with euthanasia. While human right activist, believe that the person has the right to make a decision on life and death in a time of suffering and euthanasia should be apart of that human right (BanoviĆ& Turanjanin, 2014). The writer believes that the nurse that has to confront the dilemma of euthanizing or assisting a physician in euthanizing in the institutions were it is legal, would have to evaluate and have a thorough understanding of there own personal moral, values, and ethics. The nurse could then decide whether or not to be involved with a facility that euthanizes based on their personal feelings and beliefs.
Personal Ethics. Euthanasia differs from person to person, based on each person’s understanding of life here on earth, their religious preferences, and what they believe will occur in the afterlife. Because of the controversy involved with euthanasia, the writers believe that the best ethical theory that can be applied to and addressed by euthanasia is “Ethical Relativism”. Ethical Relativism is a theory that recognizes that “morality is relative to the norms of one 's culture” (ANA, 2011). In Ethical relativism, the theory indicates that before any decision is made the content involved with that decision must be determined, because there is no absolute in ethics and the moral obligations vary from person to person (ANA, 2011).
Conclusion
The issues regarding decision about human life and their legal and ethical aspects has always been a volatile topic, be it the issue of abortion, experimentation, suicide and this groups topic, Euthanasia. The Group believes that as nurses who are confronted with the ethical dilemma that is Euthanasia, there must first be an understanding of the cultural background, family dynamics, as well as the particulars of the situation that is being evaluated. Euthanasia is unfortunately a moral gray area, and there are no clear wrong or right answers, but as nurses, it is our moral and professional obligation to try and resolve whether or not it is acceptable to sustain the life of a suffering human being who no longer wants to live, or if it is ethical to end a life in a humane fashion for someone who may be unable to speak for themselves. The writers of this paper collectively believe that a person’s viewpoint regarding euthanasia is akin to spiritual belief in that it varies among individuals, and unless a general consensus can be reached, the ethical dilemma known as euthanasia will forever live on.
References
American Medical Association (1994) The Relation Of Law and Ethics retrieved from http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/opinion102.page?
American Nurses Association. (2011). Short definitions of ethical principles and theories. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Resources/Ethics-Definitions.pdf
BanoviĆ, B., & Turanjanin, V. (2014). Euthanasia: Murder or Not: A Comparative Approach. Iranian Journal Of Public Health, 43(10), 1316-1323.
Burt, R. A. (1998). Confronting Death: Who Chooses? Who Controls? A Dialogue between Dax Cowart and Robert Burt. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.law.yale.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1702&context=fss_papers
Carton R. (1990) The road to euthanasia. Journal of the American Medical Association
Fowler, S. (2014). What Are Stakeholders & Ethical Dilemmas? Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_8100582_stakeholders-ethical-dilemmas.html
De Bal, N., Gastmans, C., & Verpoort, C. (2006, April). Nurses ' views on their involvement in euthanasia: a qualitative study in Flanders. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2565778/
ProCon.org. (2014). State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide - Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132
Schiavo, T. (n.d.). Facts About Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://www.terrisfight.org/facts-about-euthanasia/
Smith, W. (2002). Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/euthanasia.aspx
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy [SEP]. (2010). Voluntary Euthanasia. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/euthanasia-voluntary/