Euthanasia And Healthcare Workers Essay - 2415 Words

Euthanasia means different things to different people. The definition provided by www.euthanasia.com states that euthanasia is â€Å"the intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (The key word here is intentional. If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia)†. There are several key definitions listed on the euthanasia site such as voluntary euthanasia, involuntary euthanasia, assisted suicide, and euthanasia by action or omission. There are those who feel that euthanasia is an act of compassion at the end of ones life, while others such as www.euthanasia.com state that they â€Å"are committed to the fundamental belief that the intentional killing of another person is wrong.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Like Judaism, Christianity teaches that God endowed human life with intrinsic value. From the first century A.D. to the twentieth century, virtually all Christians condemned suicide as a means of e scaping the suffering that afflicts human beings. This accounted for the uniformity of opinion throughout Christendom about the virtues of extending human life and enduring suffering when death approached as an essential part of Gods providential plan for each and every individual. Once Christianity became more widespread, it is easy to see that the trend moved towards saving each and every person’s life, even to the detriment to the quality of life experienced before death. Early Christians built hospitals and cared for the sick, while many monks became Hippocratic physicians and continued the Hippocratic tradition through the Dark Ages (Reville 2010). Largely driven by Christian ideals, medicine and nursing spread throughout the world, and remained under this Hippocratic-Christian consensus until the 1950’s (Reville 2010). In fact America began to get its first taste of a shifting public opinion on euthanasia in 1915 when a doctor by the name of Harry J. Haiselden allowed a severely deformed baby to succumb to death rather than perform surgery (Dowbiggin 2003). This sent shockwaves across the country and marked a milestone for opening up future dialogue between AmericansShow MoreRelatedThe Euthanasia And Assisted Suicide1505 Words   |  7 Pageschild of the ill or elderly parent has to decide whether their mom or dad should go forward with active euthanasia, could also cause some issues amongst the family. Euthanasia and assisted suicide is a way for family members and friends to be able to say their goodbyes to their loved one and know that they won’t be suffering for much longer. First, this essay is going to explore what euthanasia and assisted suicide is, and what the laws are in Canada involving this topic. Secondly, this paper willRead MoreNavigating Communication With Families During Withdrawals Of Life-Intensive Care Case Study858 Words   |  4 Pagespatients and identify how the healthcare team addresses the problematic topic. This qualitative study observed the experiences of 27 end-of-life patients, their families, oncologists, and nurses. A hypothesis was not made. Results of the study demonstrated how this decision affects everyone involved in the process, and it detailed ideals of appropriate e nd-of-life care practices. This addresses the PICO because it includes the patient’s decision, how the healthcare professionals view this, how itRead MoreSimilarities Between Tort Law And Criminal Law1605 Words   |  7 Pagesand tort law are applicable in healthcare. The tort law takes care of the majority of the medical malpractices, especially those that do not touch the laws of the land. For instance, breach of patient confidentiality may lead to the application of the law of tort. Conversely, criminal law is applied in cases where the healthcare institutions and professionals participate in activities that break any of the state or federal laws, for example, engaging in euthanasia in states that consider the practiceRead MoreDifferences Between Tort Law And Criminal Law1607 Words   |  7 Pagesand tort law are applicable in healthcare. The majority of medical malpractices, especially those that do not touch the laws of the land are taken care by the tort law. For inst ance, breach of patient confidentiality may lead to the application of the law of tort. Conversely, criminal law is applied in cases where the healthcare institutions and professionals participate in activities that break any of the state or federal laws, for example, participating in euthanasia in states that consider the practiceRead MoreIs Euthanasia A Criminal Offence?1266 Words   |  6 PagesBy continuing to make euthanasia a criminal offence, it is making it problematic in the legal sense because although there is a lot of significant public support6 euthanasia, doctors are still being punished when they choose to help their patients with ending their lives when they choose to do so. There is a Nigerian case which involves R. v. Johnson (1961), where the presiding judge said that â€Å"I accept the fact that what you did (euthanize the patient) was done without thought for yourself but outRead MoreVoluntary/Assisted Euthanasia Essay1200 Words   |  5 PagesVoluntary/Assis ted Euthanasia Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Health Care Voluntary/Assisted Euthanasia (Thesis, Description of the topic and related ethical implications, Obligations to your profession and work as a nurse) Debra Burden The purpose of this paper is to define the issue and legalities of assisted death and the key ethical arguments, including the social values and norms, encompassing this topic. Also included in this paper on voluntary/assisted suicideRead More Arguments For And Against Euthanasia Essay1960 Words   |  8 PagesEuthanasia is the practice of ending an individuals life in order to relieve them from an incurable disease or unbearable suffering. The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek word for good death and originally referred to as â€Å"intentional killing† ( Patelarou, Vardavas, Fioraki, Alegakis, Dafermou, Ntzilepi, 2009). Euthanasia is a controversial topic which has raised a great deal of debate globally. Although euthanasia has received great exposure in the professional media, there are someRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Bioethics1094 Words   |  5 Pagesto life and health, and the rightness or wrongness of certain developments in healthcare institutions, life tec hnology, and medicine. For this week s assignment, I will conduct independent research for current bioethical issues. I will provide three examples of current, bioethical issues and explain the surrounding ethical issues. As well as discuss the importance of the conscience clause. And whether healthcare workers and facilities should have the ability to refuse to perform certain proceduresRead MorePrinciples of Professional Practice Essay1690 Words   |  7 PagesMidwifery Council Follows- The Code: Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives SSSC- Scottish Social Services Council Follows- Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers SSSC has a code for both employers and workers. I am going to compare and contrast the Workers Code of Practice. Professional education and registration To become a qualified nurse you must be accepted to study at university for a three or four year degree. This education programmeRead MoreThe Right to Die3619 Words   |  15 Pagespowerful. Because of this fear, there is a belief that one should be the master of their own fate. This belief then brings about the concept of euthanasia. Sanders and Chaloner define euthanasia as â€Å"a deliberate intervention or omission with the express intention of hastening or ending an individual’s life, to relieve intractable pain or suffering† (2007, p). Euthanasia is associated with the act of mercifully ending the life of a suffering patient. Those who are terminally ill should have the choice and