To this end, a history of this debate is outlined. The focus in this paper is on the practical as well as personal ethical or moral considerations of assisted suicide and euthanasia for healthcare practitioners. Most of these have not considered what it would be like for the healthcare practitioner to be involved in the decision to take a life and also involved in the practice of actually taking a life. Many arguments for and against assisted suicide and euthanasia have been made over the years. This interest is not surprising, as although much historical and current opposition to hastened death exists, there is a growing list of countries where assisted suicide and/or euthanasia take place now under legal sanction these include the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Oregon, Montana and Washington in the United States.
#Does atropine hasten death professional#
Public debate over legalizing assisted or hastened death is occurring in many countries including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States where there is understandably much academic and healthcare professional interest as well. The dilemmas for healthcare practitioners thus who have competent patients requesting hastened death extends far beyond acting within a country’s laws as they go to the very heart of the relationship between the practitioner and patient. The role of the healthcare practitioner has clearly and undoubtedly changed over time with advances in healthcare practices but the duty of care has not changed. This paper explores salient practical and ethical considerations for healthcare practitioners associated with assisting death, including a focus on examining the concepts of autonomy for patients and healthcare practitioners. Those who have the most experience of palliative care are strongest in their opposition to hastening death. While some studies have documented the reluctance of medical and other healthcare professionals to be involved in the practice of assisted dying or euthanasia, there is still much open debate in the public domain. Various arguments for and against assisted dying have been made over time but the call from the public for the legalisation of euthanasia and assisted suicide has never been stronger. Assisting or hastening death is a dilemma with many ethical as well as practical issues facing healthcare practitioners in most countries worldwide now.
0 kommentar(er)
