Physician Assisted Suicide: Article Analysis

There are currently three states in the United States of America that has legalized euthanasia, one of which is Oregon as reported by Friend (2011). Physician assisted suicide (PAS) or euthanasia is defined as intentional ending of individual’s life chiefly by taking a lethal dose of a substance prescribed by a physician as stated by Friend (2011). Furthermore, Friend (2011) states that dying with dignity, which often means dying without needless physical suffering is one of the protagonists of dying with PAS. In addition, Friend (2011) references that PAS and the nurses whom receive directives from the physician are a major component in euthanasia. According to Friend (2011), assisting a patient with their death, whether it is with dignity or not is somewhat of a problem for nurses and physicians because they both have a responsibility to the patient to do no harm. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the article …show more content…
According to the article they are also deemed eligible if the patient is competent, have an ongoing relationship with their physician and also has a mutual understanding regarding the prognosis of their impending death. Furthermore, patient are able to utilizing a way that is less insufferable and more acceptable in the art of dying with dignity. Therefore, patients and physicians must have weighed and measured all options and also all resources has been exhausted or hope for survival has been lost. Physicians should evaluate the patients’ surroundings and whether it constitutes an effect on their overall decision whether or not to die with dignity. This writer believes that the decision to die with dignity should solely be made by the patient and physician because, while going through the process even though the individual may have loved ones with them, they are still making the journey