Euthanasia and Right-To-Die - Essay Example

Euthanasia and Right-To-Die Introduction Hospitals do have thousands of patients locked up in the long-term care facilities and many elderly people in these care facilities who have expressed their desires to die. On the other hand, many patients with terminal illnesses beg for death. However, the question that remains intriguing is whether these people show to meet their deaths before the time comes or if it is right to force them to keep living (Goel, 2008). In some countries, courts have permitted lethal injections like euthanasia to the terminally ill patients. However, many people consider the practice a very barbaric act while others believe it is humane to offer individuals their right to die. Those supporting lethal injections claim that keeping people alive to endure unending pain and suffering is equally barbaric and that if people wish to die, health care facilities should allow them to die (Printz, 2015). Therefore, the activists lobbying right to life should stop and reconsider that people have the right to die. Thus, the aim of this essay is to discuss how euthanasia can help the terminally ill patients to die because they have the right to die. Euthanasia assisted deaths and support from the right-to-die activitists Taking the life of a person to relieve him or her from unbearable pain or in other words suffering is nursing professionals and the contemporary world refers to as Euthanasia (Printz, 2015). Euthanasia is a practice common to all societies and has been common even where the law forbids the seemingly unethical ending of life. On the other hand, there are cultures as well as religions that have strong condemnation of euthanasia used in any form but it is right to ask if the objection can change anything in the society and if people have the right to die. Until the 1970s, terminally ill patients did not have the right to die as it is common today and euthanasia would find use on animals, but the Karen Ann Quinlan case of 1976 changed everything and as such, brought about the controversy surrounding the right to die (Goel, 2008). Therefore, the question is a tough one for terminally ill patients because they as the patients have the right or the freedom to make their choices. For instance, if a patient has a short time to live then death usually comes without the complications emanating from decision-making. On the other hand, if death becomes a prolonged case and that a patient lingers in suffering and pain, then the patient has the right to choose if the continuing with the treatment is worth a try (Annadurai, Danasekaran & Mani, 2014). If the situation does not change after prolonged treatment, then a patient sees no point and purpose in living. The paradox on who has the right to choose euthanasia One of the controversies surrounding the right to die is who has the mandate to choose (Printz, 2015). For instance, when a patient is the position of not making rational decisions or judgments, the question that remains quite a paradox is whether the family members or the doctor has the permission to decide whether the patient should die. According to right to life advocates, the family member that decides on the ending of a life of a terminally ill relative possibly gets away with murder charge because the patient is unable to make a rational decision (Goel, 2008). On the contrary, those advocating the right to life answer the paradox on who has the right to decide the fate of the terminally ill patient. In this case, they argue that there should be a living will to everyone implying that persons wish death when they are terminally ill or have been fatally injured (Annadurai, Danasekaran & Mani, 2014). Therefore, a living will gives people to right to make decisions about their life and death and as such, misunderstandings can occur. Conflict between nursing and the society: ethics of using euthanasia Nonetheless, doctors are always in a conflict with the society on the use of euthanasia to end patient life. In this regard, the society expects doctors to save lives even though a physician is also supposed to fulfil the wishes of the family and the patient (Goel, 2008). Therefore, hospitals are always not prepared to help with the patient deaths because they have the available assistive technology to continue the treatment even without the help of the family. In this regard, a doctor keeps the patient alive until he or she is convinced that treatment process has considered everything to save the life. As such, the use of euthanasia and the right to die is a tough choice for doctors who have the duty to keep patients alive (Printz, 2015). Religious objection on the use of euthanasia Conversely, the use of euthanasia other methods of assisted suicide has always been rejected by religious factions who believe that it is unethical to end a person’s life because life is a gift given from God (Printz, 2015). To church, for instance, assisting people to die is a sin that can also be punishable by God. However, the church may not understand the role of euthanasia in ending life because the method is whereby an individual gets assistance to die from pain and suffering because prolonged exposure to this suffering is an inhumane act (Goel, 2008). On the other hand, euthanasia is only applicable after the final verdict from the doctor on the state of the patient’s health and as such, a doctor administers the injection administered after a family or the patient has made a decision to ascertain that if he or she is in a state to make rational decisions or judgments. Therefore, the church may be against the use of euthanasia but people have the right to die if they believe that their prolonged living is of no use (Annadurai, Danasekaran & Mani, 2014). General objections on euthanasia and the right to die One of the arguments against using euthanasia to end human lives is that there is the much fear of mercy killing that will allow the ending of lives of the unwanted people (Printz, 2015). On the other hand, physicians take the Hippocratic Oath that bars them from killing. Therefore, euthanasia can be used in a different form like starvation and dehydration, a process known as a passive euthanasia and this practice has been considered an ethical and legal as well as the standard way of ending the lives of terminally ill patients because they have the right to die (Goel, 2008). A patient in a palliative care should get empathy and compassion from the caregivers and a nurse can comfort the patient by encouraging him or her to consider the smoothest ware to end life like euthanasia to end the long-suffering. However, a nurse encouraging a patient to consider euthanasia to end life faces ethical challenges as well as conflicting situations where a patient is not in the position to make decision to die as a human right (Goel, 2008). On the contrary, there are numerous methods of comforting the patient and the family, for instance, encouraging them that a human being has the right to die smoothly and respectful through methods like euthanasia. Therefore, the best way to cope up the loss of a terminally ill patient is by avoiding compassion fatigue at all costs because this may affect caring of other patients as nursing professionals swear to save and protect the lives of the patients. Conclusion In summary, it is quite difficult to explain the reasons right to life advocates suggest as the need to keep people suffering from acute pain alive. On the other contrary, it is hard to dictate to people whether they have the right to die. Therefore, euthanasia usable for ethical killing only if the patients have asked for it or the family has made a decision. Thus, hospitals should not deny people the right to comfortable death when they are suffering and see no point in living because their days on earth will serve no purpose. References Annadurai, K., Danasekaran, R.& Mani, G. (2014). Euthanasia: right to die with Dignity. Journal of Family Medicine and primary care, 3(4), 477-478. Goel, V. (2008). Euthanasia- A dignified end of life!. International NGO Journal, 3(12), 224-231. Printz, C. (2015). Death with dignity: young patient with brain tumor puts a face on the right-to-die movement. Medline Pubmed 121(5), 641-643. Read More