Controversy in the Field of Nursing and Health - Essay Example

Euthanasia In the recent years it has to come to the attention of many human beings that different topics have arisen which create controversy in the field of nursing and health. These topics vary according to their intensity and have controversial views. It has been found that these topics or actions have both their pros and cons. One such controversial subject in the recent days is of physician assisted suicide. In other words this physician assisted suicide is also called Euthanasia. Euthanasia is an action committed to bring an end to the pain and misery suffered by a patient. And it has been pronounced to be legal in many states all over the world. Euthanasia can be classified as an action committed either by the will of the patient or without his will. Mostly the patients will is given a degree of preference (Materstvedt et al., 2003). This report is regarding Euthanasia and its relative importance in the field of nursing and health and further details about the controversial topic. Euthanasia is a very controversial topic these days which relates to the killing of an individual either with his consent or without his consent so as to end his misery in this life. In practice Euthanasia is the most talked subject these days, as such kind of patients are being treated everyday in the hospitals, who, either give up their life or want to give up their life (Gordian, 1997). But being a doctor or a nurse one has to see the intensity of the problem that the patient is facing and as to if that problem can be solved or not. The issue is very much relevant to the field of health as it tells the individuals working in this field as to when they should do such an action. And how this action should be done so that the patient feels the pain much more less than being inflicted on him currently (Scanlon, 1996). Euthanasia is an issue in which the life of an individual is involved. In this practice the life of an individual is taken either with his consent or without consent to relief him of the pain and misery he is going through. This taking of life of an individual is said to be both ethical and unethical from contrary views. It is said to be unethical because many of the religions existing in this world oppose it strongly (Rumbold, 1999). According to these religions human beings are not the judges of the lives of other human beings thus euthanasia is an unethical issue. Moreover, these religions say that the individuals have to suffer as it has been written in their fate by God himself and human beings have no interference in killing these individuals and relieving them from pain (Bowie, 2001). Euthanasia is being practiced in many states of the world these days and almost all of the physicians in the world are aware about the practice. A clearer picture about the practice is known by interviewing these physicians and general practitioners as these physicians go through these situations in their everyday life. Many of the patients coming to these physicians are suffering from such diseases which cannot be cured and thus the physicians have to take such drastic steps. Thus a more clear view about the topic is known when these physicians are interviewed as to what steps do they take when they are in such a situation. Euthanasia by consent is usually preferred by the physicians as it involves the consent of the patient himself (Ostheimer, 1980). The individuals who support Euthanasia pronounce that through this practice the individuals who are suffering could be laid at rest without suffering much more in this life. Similarly they also put that individuals who are even given pain killers may not be able to live a dependent life as they have not been through the pain and are weak and thus these individuals should be laid to rest by the physician assisted suicide. Not only this, the individuals who are dying already may become a hindrance for other patients coming to the hospital for treatment purposes. And as there is an increase in the number of patients in this world hospital spaces are becoming short. Thus if such patients who already have less chances of survival are killed with their consent they might be able to save other precious lives (Quaghebeur et. Al., 2009). However, on the contrary the critics of Euthanasia give their points as following this practice may divert the professionals from their original line of work. The doctors and physicians were supposedly the ones who saved the lives of people and not kill them out of mercy. So if a doctor or physician carries out such a practice then he is disobeying the rules set out for him in this field (Mengal et. Al., 2002). Further as said above the religions strongly oppose such an act as it is God in the end who can takes one life and not the human beings. Many religions pronounce Euthanasia as a type of murder. Thus it is unacceptable by the critics. Moreover, these critics pronounce that miracles can also cause the patients to recover from their state and thus these patients should not be killed. Also the critics say that when a patient is suffering from a disease he loses his mental competency or his ability to rationalize decisions. And if such ability is lost he may not be able to differentiate between the wrong and the right (Leeman, 1968). Thus it is more common that a person in pain or disease may take a wrong decision and opt for mercy killing. Hence it is not ethical for the doctors or physicians to perform euthanasia on a diseased patient. Financial crisis is another factor that may force the patient to opt for mercy killing as they might think that they are forcing their family to spend their money on them. Thus in a condition in which they cannot rationalize decisions they might not be able to think properly and opt for mercy killing. The critics of Euthanasia have strong viewpoints against the practice which if examined closely are quite right on the base of humanitarian grounds (Garity, 2004). Euthanasia is a practice which kills people in an orderly manner so as to they are relieved of pain and misery but this does not let go the fact that a precious life is lost in this process. I personally feel agonized at the pain of losing a precious life in such a process as this precious life might be able to recover too (Coyle, 1992). After the evaluation of both the pros and cons of Euthanasia I can judge that Euthanasia is a practice followed down by the doctors so as to reduce the misery of the patients but on the other hand a life is lost too on times in which it is least expected. After reviewing the whole topic it can be concluded that Euthanasia is a practice for the betterment of the society but as it does not follow the ethical grounds it should be taken out of the society so these ethical grounds remain to their stance in the society. Bibliography Materstvedt, L. J., D. Clark, J. Ellershaw, R. Forde, A.-M. B. Gravgaard, H. C. Muller-Busch, J. P. I. Sales, and C.-H. Rapin. "Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide: a View from an EAPC Ethics Task Force." PALLIATIVE MEDICINE. 17 (2003): 97-101. Scanlon, C. "Euthanasia and Nursing Practice - Right Question, Wrong Answer." NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. 334. 21 (1996): 1401-1402. Rumbold, Graham. Ethics in Nursing Practice. Edinburgh: Bailliere Tindall, 1999. Pp. 85-101 Bowie, Robert A. Ethical Studies. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes, 2001.Pp. 218-220 Ostheimer JM. "The Polls: Changing Attitudes Toward Euthanasia." Public Opinion Quarterly. 44. 1 (1980): 123-8. Quaghebeur, T., B.D. de Casterle, and C. Gastmans. "Nursing and Euthanasia: a Review of Argument-Based Ethics Literature." NURSING ETHICS. 16. 4 (2009): 466-486. Mengel, Mark B., Warren Lee Holleman, and Scott A. Fields. Fundamentals of Clinical Practice. New York, N.Y.: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2002. Pp. 601-603 Leeman, S. Judson. “Euthanasia: Mans Right to Die.” JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH. Vol. 7, No. 4 (Oct., 1968), pp. 342-349 Coyle N. "The Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide Debate: Issues for Nursing." Oncology Nursing Forum. 19. 7 (1992): 41-6. Nursing Assisted-Suicide and Euthanasia: A Scholarly Anthology That Defines. [S.l.]: Gordian, 1997. Garity, Joan. "COMMENTARIES: Euthanasia - Nursing Education and Research Implications." Journal of Advanced Nursing. 47. 6 (2004): 601-602. Read More