Active And Passive Euthanasia Essay

In the modern world of medicine, there are patients who can no longer be helped with any type of treatment. They may also be in a physical and mental state that prevents them from being able to recover ever again, such as Mrs. Jones, who is left in a vegetative state. In such situations, there is a tough choice to make with only 2 options: the patient can either be left on life support with no chance of doing independent tasks, such as talking or even breathing, ever again, or be euthanized. The two different types of euthanasia are active and passive. Active euthanasia is defined as “when the medical professionals, or another person, deliberately do something that causes the patient to die”. Compared to passive euthanasia, which is defined …show more content…
This article states that regardless of the legal status in the country it is being studied, nurses are involved in the care surrounding euthanasia. Research shows that communication is the key factor in good-quality euthanasia care, because nurses serve as support and guidance on the level of nursing education. Another article, “A Person’s Right to Active or Passive Euthanasia”, written by Cindy Leonard, discusses the complications that come along with making the difficult decision regarding euthanasia. The main topic for this article is about the elderly, and how at such a low point in their life where they cannot do anything anymore, many would rather die a quick death, instead of being in pain and being helpless. The article states that active euthanasia is illegal in every state, except Oregon, and that passive euthanasia is accepted across and U.S. and Europe. According to this article “the most popular form of passive euthanasia is the advance directive. One type of advance directive is a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order” (Leonard 13). As nurses, we have to remember to always be there for our patients and their families, even in such difficult times. We must