Euthanasia is the act killing another person using the least painful method with the intent of helping that person. It can be done through administering medications or performing other interventions. Health care professionals are required to provide quality care to patients with the patient’s best interest (Kranidiotis et all, 2015). Nurses provide more direct care to patients and they are usually the patients’ final advocates. As nurses, should we not advocate for the life of our patients? I intend to prove that Registered Nurses (RNs) should not allow death with dignity for their patients by honoring wishes for providing euthanasia measures because it is not ethical, not within nurses’ scope of practice and some cultures oppose to the act.
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It is vital for nurses to follow the code of ethics while implementing daily nursing care. According to Catalano, ethics are “declarations of what is right or wrong and of what ought to be” (Catalano, 2009). Autonomy and nonmaleficence are some of the ethical principles that discourage euthanasia. Autonomy is the patient’s right to make health care decisions for him or herself. However, autonomy is with limits when it interferes with another individual’s right or well-being. Although, patients have the right to choose their time of death, it is not suitable to a registered nurse to support or assist with the death of another human being. If a patient decides to die, it does not diminish the value of life. Most patients decide to die because they may be depressed or going through some chronic pain. In such situations, the underlying causes of depression should be treated and modern palliative care can treat pain in virtually all conditions. Assisting with the death of a patient is prohibited in the nurse’ scope of practice hence, the patient’s choice to die interferes with the nurses’ work ethics. Therefore the nurse should not assist the patient to die through euthanasia methods (Catalano, 2009).
Nonmaleficence is that” health care professionals are to do no harm to their patients, either intentionally or unintentionally”. Also, health care providers are required to protect from harm for …show more content…
Euthanasia is a taboo in most cultures and nurses have to be aware of that. According to the Yuroba people of Nigeria, the act of euthanasia is the same as suicide. Suicide is considered at taboo. There is no funeral for anyone who engages in euthanasia or suicide and people are not allowed to cry in public for that individual. The deceased family performs a cleansing ritual to prevent the reoccurrence of such an abomination (Olasunkanmi, 2015). Also, Islam teaching is against euthanasia. They believe that life is sacred and Allah gives life and he decides how long a person lives on earth. Hence, human beings cannot decide should not interfere with the death of another human being. Suicide and euthanasia is clearly for forbidden in the Qur’an (Euthanasia, assisted dying...,
It is vital for nurses to follow the code of ethics while implementing daily nursing care. According to Catalano, ethics are “declarations of what is right or wrong and of what ought to be” (Catalano, 2009). Autonomy and nonmaleficence are some of the ethical principles that discourage euthanasia. Autonomy is the patient’s right to make health care decisions for him or herself. However, autonomy is with limits when it interferes with another individual’s right or well-being. Although, patients have the right to choose their time of death, it is not suitable to a registered nurse to support or assist with the death of another human being. If a patient decides to die, it does not diminish the value of life. Most patients decide to die because they may be depressed or going through some chronic pain. In such situations, the underlying causes of depression should be treated and modern palliative care can treat pain in virtually all conditions. Assisting with the death of a patient is prohibited in the nurse’ scope of practice hence, the patient’s choice to die interferes with the nurses’ work ethics. Therefore the nurse should not assist the patient to die through euthanasia methods (Catalano, 2009).
Nonmaleficence is that” health care professionals are to do no harm to their patients, either intentionally or unintentionally”. Also, health care providers are required to protect from harm for …show more content…
Euthanasia is a taboo in most cultures and nurses have to be aware of that. According to the Yuroba people of Nigeria, the act of euthanasia is the same as suicide. Suicide is considered at taboo. There is no funeral for anyone who engages in euthanasia or suicide and people are not allowed to cry in public for that individual. The deceased family performs a cleansing ritual to prevent the reoccurrence of such an abomination (Olasunkanmi, 2015). Also, Islam teaching is against euthanasia. They believe that life is sacred and Allah gives life and he decides how long a person lives on earth. Hence, human beings cannot decide should not interfere with the death of another human being. Suicide and euthanasia is clearly for forbidden in the Qur’an (Euthanasia, assisted dying...,