Physician Assisted Suicide Viewpoints

Physician Assisted Suicide Opposing Viewpoints Physician assisted suicide has been legalized in four states in the United States, but many places are proposing new assisted suicide or Death With Dignity laws. Assisted suicide is a very controversial topic and there is much debate over whether to legalize it in the United States. There are arguments for and against assisted suicide, but there is also a point that both sides can agree on. Supporters of physician assisted suicide believe that the procedure is a good thing and should be legalized. There are two arguments that exist in support of assisted suicide. One of the main arguments for assisted suicide is the patient’s right to autonomy (Haigh and Neville 3213). The right to autonomy …show more content…
The only behavior and choices that one can control is one’s own (Haigh and Neville 3213). In health care, it is thought to be a fundamental ethical principle to respect a patient’s autonomy (Haigh and Neville 3213). When the principle of the right to autonomy conflicts with others, it should almost always come first and take precedence over other principles (Angell). One principle, or basis for a system of belief or behavior, that the right to autonomy could possibly come in conflict is the principle that all physicians and medical professionals should always care for the ill and keep them alive (Angell). Although nurses pledge to do no harm to their patients, it is ultimately the patient’s decision to decide what is best for them in the event that they may not have many other options (Angell). The authors of an editorial in the Journal of Clinical Nursing stated that “a significant proportion of our adult lives are concerned with employing autonomy in all aspects of our interactions with society, all aspects it would appear except the nature and …show more content…
This point, which can be interpreted from the differing arguments, is that the patient’s needs must always be kept in mind and come first and any and all alternatives to assisted suicide must be exhausted before going through with this controversial procedure (Angell; Haigh and Neville; and Dieterle). “The University of Pennsylvania 's project, Finding Common Ground, established the Assisted Suicide Consensus Panel to debate several questions” (Synder and Caplan 468). One of the questions they debated is whether there are alternatives to physician assisted suicide or not (Synder and Caplan 468). The alternatives that should be exhausted before offering physician assisted suicide could include any medication or any other kind of treatment for the disease or illness, hospice, and palliative care (Dieterle 134). Both sides can agree that once all options are exhausted and the patient knows all of their options, that it is up to the patient to make their own decision on what is best for them (Angell; Haigh and Neville; and