Ethical Dilemma In Voluntary/Assisted Euthanasia

Improved Essays
ntroduction
The Legal right to die describes in any situation of an adult who is in state of sound mind to decide about his or her treatment to be continued or not, where such voluntary, informed decision is made, should be recognized and respected. According to Lord Goff of Chieveley in 1993, at p. 864, in Airedale NHS Trust versus Bland [1993], the House of Lords held that “The principle of self-determination requires that respect must be given to the wishes of the patient. If an adult patient of sound mind refuses, however unreasonably, to consent to treatment or care by which his life would or might be prolonged, the doctors responsible for his care must give effect to his wishes, even though they do not consider it to be in his best interests to do so. […] To this extent, the principle of the sanctity of human life must yield to the principle of self-determination”.
…show more content…
The three questions asked were unique named A, B, and C. The questions were, Is there a Legal Right to Die?, Should the government be involve in patients’ End-of-life Decision –making?, and In the Absence of an Advance Directive, who makes Decisions for incapacitated patients?. Among the 9 subjects, in the status of Hospital administrator group interview conducted with one of the On Duty Administrator and Physician, a spiritual leader, a healthcare colleague, and other five of them were

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Dax Informed Consent Case

    • 111 Words
    • 1 Pages

    According to Harris (2008), “Informed consent is the theoretical basis for the patient’s right to refuse treatment, including the right to a natural death” (p. 202).…

    • 111 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Death With Dignity: A Commentary Sergej Jagodin Millersville University Medical Aid in Dying: A Commentary The ability to choose when to die is not a topic that is heavily discussed throughout a person’s life. What constitutes dying early and on one’s own terms? Is it moral? Is it right?…

    • 1627 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    They then move into a hospital culture where a death, even among aged, is seen as a failure,” (102). In physician assisted suicide, it is imperative to realize that the patient is choosing to die with dignity and on their own terms instead of being deteriorated by sickness. Ultimately, a doctor’s main purpose is to cure their patient, but in extreme cases with no cure, there is nothing one can do except to alleviate suffering. By giving the patient the choice of death, physicians are allowing their patient to die on their own terms and with…

    • 1335 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Physician-Assisted Death Introduction The ethical dilemma I chose is physician-assisted death. I chose this because it has been in the news and it is a topic which has always interested me as a nurse I very much value life but also believe in one being able to make their own decisions regarding their health care but do not believe this is meant to involve takings one’s own life. Ethical Dilemma Physician-assisted death, is it right or is it wrong? Is it our right to choose when and how we die?…

    • 1613 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In today’s society, one of the many controversial issues discussed is physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. There have been many questions and opinions concerning the incident, and as a result, some people have been criticized for their opinions of physician-assisted suicide. Many have debated about what is wrong and right yet, none of us actually know what is best for society. Furthermore, we ask ourselves, “Should patients have the right to die? Should we agree to the patient’s request regardless if they want to die based on emotional/mentally reasons, their fear of becoming weak, or their condition?”…

    • 175 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Physician Assisted Suicide, an Ethical Dilemma The practice of assisted suicide in the United Sates is extremely controversial. On one side of the spectrum, citizens believes that if one is suffering from a terminal illness, they should have the right to terminate their life with a physician’s assistance to prevent future and prolonged suffering. On the opposing side, it is morally unethical for a health care provider to provide assisted euthanasia on the grounds that the practice in contraindicated within their standard of care in that it is a physician’s obligation to preserve life. Which brings me to the heated debate, should the terminally ill have the right to end their life with the assistance of a physician?…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    I will discuss how assisted suicide is against medical practices, legal rights, ethical standards for nurses and physicians, as well as biblical teaching; whereas, palliative sedation adheres to the ethical and moral obligations…

    • 1856 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Assisted suicide and death with dignity are interchangeable terms that all refer back to the same right vs. right ethical dilemma. For the purpose of this paper, it should be assumed that the patient that is requesting assistance is terminally ill, and they are asking their physician for a means to end their life. The patients in question have seen multiple doctors, and they have been deemed as mentally stable. The controversial topic is globally debated because there is no right or wrong answer. The following paper will provide a thorough insight into how businesses, such as a hospital, should view this ethical dilemma both legally and socially.…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    One of the many ethical dilemmas surrounding health care today is physician assisted suicide. Many will misinterpret this as Euthanasia because they both accomplish the same goal, causing the death of a person. However, physician assisted suicide is different because of the way that death is accomplished. Boudreau and Somerville (2014) explain that, “In assisted suicide, the person takes the death-inducing product; in euthanasia, another individual administers it” (p. 2). The physician in the case of physician assisted suicide is removed from the actual act of death.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    If doctors are enabled the decision to terminate a life on behalf of a unconscious patient, they would be then granted a power over society that not only breaches the Hippocratic Oath, but also empowers them to “play God”. This responsibility could then reflect upon society, altering their views and their trust within doctors and medical professionals as they could then be seen as “providers of death” (Cosic, 2003. 25) In addition to this, a doctor’s decision to terminate a life may not rely on the condition and best interests of the patient, but instead of amount of hospital beds and facilities that are…

    • 2101 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The evolution of modern medicine has dramatically lengthened the life expectancy of human beings. In many cases, the quality of those life years are satisfactory, and elderly individuals enjoy life. However, there are also many people experience terminal diseases or tragic accidents that reduce their quality of life to the point they no longer want to live. In these cases, patients may plead with their doctor to end their life. Naturally, a physician ending the life of her patient is morally conflicting.…

    • 1590 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Other factors include the desire to preserve dignity and personhood in the dying process and opposition to prolonging life by using sophisticated medical technology when it is recognized that care is futile. Closely related to self-determination is the principle of autonomy. This principle states that persons should have the right to make their own decisions about the course of their own lives whenever they can. By extension, they should also have the right to determine the course of their own dying as much as possible. The ethics of physician assisted suicide (PAS) continue to be debated.…

    • 1421 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Euthanasia is known as the painless killing of a human being suffering from an incurable disease or an irreversible coma. Human life possesses an intrinsic dignity and value because God creates it in his own image for the distinctive destiny of sharing God’s own life (BBC, 2014). In relation to bioethics, ethical frameworks are guidelines and rationales an individual uses to guide his or her decisions and actions. This is relevant to the topic as euthanasia is based on personal decisions and beliefs. There is clear evidence to prove that sacred texts and their ethical frameworks provide adherents with ethical frameworks to make decisions about euthanasia.…

    • 1155 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Critically examine one contemporary ethical issue from the perspective of either Christianity or Judaism. Annapreet Bhullar 13000382 ‘I have striven not to laugh at human actions, not to weep at them, not to hate them, but to understand them.’ Brittany Maynard; the heart breaking case whereby she took her own life aged 29, due to suffering from an aggressive malignant brain tumour. She died in Oregon, USA from taking a lethal drug prescribed by a doctor after become globally recognised as an advocator for Compassion & choices, a non-profit organisation that works to improve patients’ rights and choices at the end of life . As a strong believer of personal choice and individualism, I firmly deem we have a ‘right to life’ therefore,…

    • 2541 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The word euthanasia derives from greek origins that translates to ‘good death’. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines euthanasia as the act or practice of killing or permitting the death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy. The controversy surrounding euthanasia stems from whether an individual with a disability is able to make the choice to put an end to their life. It is difficult to establish whether the individual has a rational state of mind. Philosophical theories of morality and rationality can be applied to an individual’s right to death with dignity.…

    • 1961 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays