Attitudes of Flemish Nurses Towards Euthanasia - Literature review Example

Running Head: ATTITUDES OF FLEMISH NURSES TOWARDS EUTHANASIA Attitudes Of Flemish Nurses Towards Euthanasia [Name Of Student] [Name Of Institution] Introduction The word euthanasia comes from the Greek language where Eu means ‘good’ and Thanatos is the word representing ‘death’, making euthanasia another word for ‘good death’ (Rachel, 2005, 78). According to definition it is the intentional end of life by an individual upon request and consent of the person who wishes to die. The term is used in two different aspects. The first perspective is also known as the ‘narrow construal of good death’ which is the same as mercy killing (Beauchamp, 2004, 23-6). If a healthcare provider administers a drug intended to kill the patient, this act would be counted under euthanasia, but on the other hand the doctor allows the patient not to undergo certain painful treatments, which may mean the early death of that person, this does not categorize as euthanasia (Keown, 2002, 35). Another perspective, also known as the ‘broad construal of good death’, is the one which entails in its essence both forms of euthanasia, that is, killing –which is active euthanasia, and permitting to die- which is passive euthanasia. The later is one which is widely adopted in practice. Rationale For Study Over the past few years there have been extensive arguments about euthanasia which have been thought provoking too on many levels (Finnis, 2003, 11). Each and every person of the society has an opinion regarding the subject now, most of which are often based on personal experiences, religious or moral views, cultural constraints etc. This paper discusses the various viewpoints for euthanasia and argues that terminally ill patients should have all the right to ask for assistance to relieve them of their misery. There are issues and counter arguments to this which consists of legal, economic, ethical, moral and medical point of views (Beauchamp, 2004). The underlying premise is that the constitution provides each of its citizens the right to act according to his/her best interest and there should be no limitation or restriction to anybody seeking to avail this basic constitutionally provided right. Methodology The research method is a valuable tool in building growing knowledge, as a thorough review of past research and developments does not only provide the require insights and knowledge capital, but also is more possible to ensure that resulting research builds on past activities. The main objective of this research is to carefully evaluate the feasibility of using euthanasia in terminally ill patients. The reason of reviewing the literature review is to give a carefully knowledge of the issue area as any research is a prearranged investigation that utilises adequate systematic methodology to unravel problems and creates innovative knowledge that is normally related. According to researchers, the researcher should not regard the move structured techniques as better or in some way more scientific simply because they lend quantitative analysis, or because many studies go from the qualitative to the quantitative as understanding progress. Researchers mentioned that “research method is the systematic and orderly approach taken towards the collection and analysis of data, so that information can be obtained from those data.” In this research the researcher will use a combination of methods, qualitative and quantitative methods. Also established is the fact that research techniques are step-by-step procedures, which researcher can follow in order to collect the data, and analyse them for the information they contain (Finnis, 2003, 46). Use of a questionnaire as a quantitative method to successfully capture the opinions of healthcare staff especially nurses is aptly suited for research on a topic such as euthanasia where nurses will probably not want to air their opinion on the topic in public. Questionnaires protect the anonymity of the participant in a very satisfactory manner. Researchers suggests this as being the most appropriate method of collecting mass responses to the same questions, and as such, providing a good method of comparative analysis. The questionnaire covered a number of nurses to find out their opinion regarding euthanasia and whether palliative care influences the patients’ approach on euthanasia. The questionnaire enabled the researcher to identify and describe the variability in different phenomena. Discussion A basis for debate on the topic of euthanasia has always been the amount of psychological pain and suffering involved in it. (Rachel, 2005, 22) Those who are in favor of euthanasia advocate that long and inconsiderate treatment for terminally ill patients does them no good but only prolongs their psychological suffering and also of their loved ones. The thought of forcing a person to live his last days in immense pain and torture are equally painful for the families of these patients too (Gula, 2002, 64-6). The psychological trauma does not limit itself to the patient but also to his/her family members who are victims of stress and tension in such circumstances. Their suffering, at times, continues in the form of financial burdens and debts even after the death of the patient. The paper ‘Flemish palliative care nurses’ attitudes towards euthanasia’ analyzes the issue from a quantitative perspective. This research was recently published (year 2009, volume 15, No. 10) in the ‘International Journal Of Palliative Nursing.’ The researches have covered the topic in a very meticulous manner. The fact that nurses’ decisions and opinions on euthanasia are mostly contextual than being absolute, severely raises questions about previous researches where a yes or no approach had been adopted without accounting for the fact that palliative care nurses usually have a nuanced opinion on the subject. Furthermore, real-life experiences with different patients also change the opinion of these nurses (Polit, Cheryl, 2010, 32). The authors of the paper under discussion presented a brief yet complete summary of their work in the abstract which makes it clear for the readers what to expect from the research; the research areas and questions are clearly identified in the abstract area. The researchers start by identifying the gap in the existing literature. Their objective is precisely stated and does not involve too many elements which would affect the quality of the results. The aim was to assess the attitudes of Flemish nurses towards euthanasia in the presence of palliative care. The research follows a logical pattern and discusses in detail the three clusters of attitudes identified. The researchers present the view of the Flemish nurses which agree to the notion that all life forms should be treated with utmost respect and care but this does not mean that life should be preserved at every expense (Polit et al., 2010, 41-6). The Flemish nurses while believing in the value and dignity of life, also acknowledge that there are limits to human potential and to the duty that it can perform to save others. Though they agreed that all efforts should be made to treat and preserve life, but there were certain situations when one should let go and palliative care then presented itself as an obstacle for exercising the option of using euthanasia. In the opinion of the nurses, the extent to which efforts should be made to save lives and continue treatments, varied from case to case depending upon the health and medical condition of the person and also keeping in mind the options left for treatment. In cases of terminally ill patient who had exhausted all treatment options and were waiting for their impending death in pain and suffering and there was no option in medical science to cure them or ease their pain, then according to one group of Flemish nurses, it was best to relieve the person of his/her suffering and allow the person to depart with dignity and respect (Polit et al., 2010, 49-51). Whether the nurses were staunch supporters, moderate supporters or opponents, all agreed that euthanasia is never the first choice neither an easy option for any doctor, who have been trained all their lives in medical schools to ‘save’ people. (Regan, 2000, 15-7) They too suffer from guilt and depression, so the person and the family can rest assured that they will propose this option only when they are confident that nothing else can now be done for the patient. Critics usually argue that it is unfair to put this pressure on the doctors, but they were of the view that it was more of a cost-benefit situation where the cost of the burden came in the form of the benefit of easy and dignified death of a patient who would have otherwise suffered and passed in pain. They did not want to rule out the pain and suffering of the medical doctors but the pain and suffering of the patient and his/her family, definitely, outweighs the formers. The attitudes of the nurses towards euthanasia were assessed by the researchers keeping in view their religious beliefs. The questionnaire included a segment where the nurses were required to give information about their views on religion and world (Polit et al., 2010, 41-6). This is a very significant aspect which has often been ignored by other researchers in the past. The research methodology has been well established. It is a quantitative study based on questionnaires in which the sample of the registered palliative care nurses that participated in the research due to reasons of anonymity remained confidential. The questionnaire covered demographics, age, culture etc. However, since the questionnaire was mailed to the head nurses and then distributed among the registered palliative care nurses, the provision of not participating in the research was probably not explained to the nurses, nor was any specific measure taken to assure that the participants were free from any pressure and harm while answering their questions. A pilot study was conducted on a set of 25 nurses first to check the reliability of the tool and based on the feedback from the participant pilot group; the questionnaire was readjusted to better target the audience and derives the necessary information out of them with as less ambiguity as possible (Polit et al., 2010, 22). The raw facts are not presented in the research article. However, the data collected has been analyzed and presented in a well-sought out manner for the readers. The research discusses the analyzed results in a descriptive manner and determines at length the attitudes of the palliative care nurses on the subject of euthanasia in the presence of palliative care. The conclusion summarizes the findings and has a logical link with the results obtained from the analysis. Also, watching the slow and painful death of a close family member or friend can cause psychological trauma and stress from which one may unable to recover for the rest of his/her life. Medical doctors and other care providers though concerned but will never have the same level of attachment with any of their patients. It is partly because they are trained to do so and also because they treat scores of patients and are exposed to suffering and misery throughout their working tenure. (Lewis, 2006, 27) Hence they do not go through the stress or pain that the attendant of the patients would feel. I believe that making euthanasia legal will help eliminate a lot of stress and suffering from the medical profession. It is also a fact that despite its un-legal status, it is still a common practice in North America by with-holding treatment and often supervising deadly drugs to ease the death of people. But since the fear of being caught rules the atmosphere, these medical doctors feel immense guilt and pressure (Lewis, 2006, 28). If euthanasia were to be made legal, atleast these doctors could get the proper counseling. In my view a catholic bias exists as the nurses in favor of euthanasia stated that despite being in favor of euthanasia, they asked for a set of conditions under which euthanasia could become a choice that is offered to the patient or to his/ her attendants. The reasons could vary from unbearable and excruciating pain, to the right to end ones life upon desire to the fact that no one should have the right to impose their will upon any other person to force them to stay alive (Keown, 2002, 55-6). Also, it should be made available as a legal option for the terminally ill patients, or to those who feel that there life is no more worth living for; by being incapacitated, loss of dignity and for anyone who is mentally sound but is in such physical state that he continually asks for it. Conclusion As human beings we all have profound interests in the advantages that can occur to other fellow beings by our decision or interventions (Maas, 2002, 17). A number of times are actions are based on the hypothesis that our decision making capacity is better than others and that we can better decide for someone; that someone being our close one, child, friend or simply someone that we care about. We also believe that everybody does not have the radical potential nor the exercising ability to take part in making others life better or more meaningful. (Regan, 2000, 66) However, there is one good which is governed by instinct and sympathy that all human beings feel for one other and their actions in that regard may make a difference in somebody else’s life. There is a goal for each person in his/her life, the mere value of which enables him to enjoy goods in general and his/her stay in the world. If this essence is taken away from a person then much does not remain for him/her to look forward to in life. In such circumstances no law or ethics can rule that all should be done to keep him/her alive. (Watt, 2000, 31-2) Persistence against the desire of the sufferer to prolong suffering and delay death should not be allowed at all for the simple reason that it is cruel and torturing (Watt, 2000, 31-2). If one has reached the stage where further attempts to treat are not reasonable or medically very effective, then all efforts should be made to ensure that the person’s remaining time is free of pain and suffering; and if the patient asks for then euthanasia should be a choice available to him beyond any sort of ruling otherwise. For all the reasons combined, the research suggests that euthanasia is a valid option and there should be provisions to include it in all critical care settings. References Beauchamp, Tom; Childress, James (2004): Principles of Biomedical Ethics, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Finnis, John (2003): Fundamentals of Ethics, Washington: Georgetown University Press, 37-48, 112-20. Gielen, Joris; Branden, Stef van de; Broeckaert, Bert (2009) Flemish palliative care nurses’ attitudes toward euthanasia: a quantitative study, International Journal of Palliative Nursing, year 2009, volume 15, No. 10. Gula, R. M. (2002): What Are They Saying about Moral Norms? New York: Paulist Press, 61-74. Keown J. (2002): The Second Survey: Euthanasia, Ethics and Public Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lewis (2006): The Abolition of Man, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Maas (2002): Euthanasia and other medical decisions concerning the end of life, Amsterdam: Elsevier. Polit, Denise; Beck, Cheryl Tatano (2010): Essentials of Nursing Research, 6th Edition, lippincott williams & wilkins. Rachels (2005): Active and Passive Euthanasia, The New England Journal of Medicine no. 292, 78-80. Regan, Tom (2000): Euthanasia, in Matters of Life and Death, New York: Random House, 28-66. Watt H. (2000): Life and death in healthcare ethics: A short introduction. 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