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1. Assignment: Personal Experiences Learning Discussion
Assignment: Personal Experiences Learning Discussion ON Assignment: Personal
Experiences Learning DiscussionHow often do you engage with or witness death in your
work? How has this experience or the lack of it shaped your view of death? Has it gotten
easier or harder for you to accept the fact of death? As you explain, include your clinical
specialty. (Labor and Delivery Nurse and now Surgical Nurse)Part TwoReflect on the
analysis of the sin of suicide and, thus, euthanasia from the topic readings. Do you agree?
Why or why not? Refer to the lecture and topic readings in your response. (See
attachment)Any Resources in APA formatAssignment: Personal Experiences Learning
Discussionattachment_1Unformatted Attachment PreviewEuthanasia Gale Encyclopedia of
Nursing and Allied Health Definition Euthanasia is the act of putting a person (or animal) to
death painlessly, or allowing a person (or animal) to die by withholding medical treatment
in cases of incurable (and usually painful) disease. The word “euthanasia” comes from two
Greek words that mean “good death.” Euthanasia is sometimes called “mercy killing.”
Description Terms and categories It is important to distinguish euthanasia from “assisted
suicide,” which is sometimes used loosely as a synonym for euthanasia. Assisted suicide,
which is often called “self-deliverance” in Britain, refers to a person’s bringing about his or
her own death with the help of another person. Because the other person is often a
physician, the act is often called “doctor-assisted suicide.” Assisted suicide is illegal
everywhere in the United States except the state of Oregon, while euthanasia is illegal in all
fifty states. Euthanasia strictly speaking means that the physician or other person is the one
who performs the last act that causes death. For example, if a physician injects a patient
with a lethal overdose of a pain-killing medication, he or she is performing euthanasia. If the
physician leaves the patient with a loaded syringe and the patient injects himself or herself
with it, the act is an assisted suicide. Euthanasia is usually categorized as either active or
passive, and as either voluntary or involuntary. The first set of categories refers to the
means of ending life, and the second set of categories refers to the agent of the decision.
Active euthanasia involves putting a patient to death for merciful reasons; passive
euthanasia involves withholding medical care, or not doing something to prevent death. In
voluntary euthanasia, the patient is the one who wishes to die and has usually requested
either active or passive euthanasia. In involuntary euthanasia, someone else makes the
decision to terminate the patient’s life, usually because the patient is in a coma or otherwise
unable to make an informed request to die. Another important term to understand is the so-
called doctrine of double effect. This is a legal term that has been underscored by the United

2. States Supreme Court in one of its decisions. Assignment: Personal Experiences Learning
DiscussionThe doctrine of double effect states that a medical treatment intended to relieve
pain but that incidentally hastens the patient’s death is still appropriate and legally
acceptable. In other words, a doctor who gives a dying patient high doses of morphine to
prevent pain, knowing that such high doses may shorten the patient’s life by a few days, is
protected by the doctrine of double effect. Historical overview Although euthanasia has
been practiced in various human societies for centuries, it became a major social issue only
in the twentieth century. Some ancient societies allowed infants born with serious birth
defects to die, and some allowed the elderly to starve themselves to death as a form of
voluntary euthanasia. In addition, it was not unusual for soldiers on the battlefield to give a
death blow, or coup de grâce, to a mortally wounded comrade to prevent him from being
captured by the enemy as well as to end his suffering. The French phrase literally means
“stroke of mercy.” In the nineteenth century, euthanasia became a topic of ethical discussion
partly because the https://search.credoreference.com/savedresults discovery of reliable
anesthetics and analgesic (pain-killing) medications meant that painless death was now
easier to bring about. Prior to this period, the methods of suicide that were available to
people were either violent, painful, or uncertain—and sometimes all three. For example,
when the heroine of one mid-nineteenth-century French novel commits suicide by taking
arsenic, the author describes her agonizing death in clinical detail. But after the discovery of
chloroform, ether, nitrous oxide, and similar anesthetics, people began to consider using
them to relieve the suffering of the dying as well as the pain involved in surgical operations.
In the twentieth century, a number of social and technological changes made euthanasia a
morally acceptable choice to growing numbers of people. The Euthanasia Society of America
(which changed its name to the Society for the Right to Die in 1975) was founded as early as
1938. One important change was the increasing size of the elderly population, a
development that resulted from the lengthening of the life span brought about by advances
in medical science. A second was the invention of respirators, intravenous feeding, dialysis
machines, and other means of prolonging a patient’s life even in cases of terminal illness.
Discomfort at the thought of ending one’s life at the mercy of machinery is frequently
mentioned in public opinion polls as a justification for euthanasia or assisted suicide.
Another important transition was a change in social attitudes in favor of individual freedom
and autonomy, rather than emphasizing a person’s membership in a family or community.
Many people today feel strongly that they are the best judges of their own well-being, and
that they should have the “right to die” if necessary. In late 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court
agreed to again take up the issue of assisted suicide in a challenge to Oregon’s Death with
Dignity law. The justices were to consider whether the U.S. attorney general could use
federal drug-control laws to punish physicians who prescribe deathhastening drugs to
patients. In October of that year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments and on January
17, 2006, the Court ruled 6–3 in favor of Oregon, upholding the law. Viewpoints Medical
professionals Many North American professional societies in the health care professions
have stated their opposition to active euthanasia. The American Medical Association (AMA)
sponsored the establishment of an Institute for Ethics in the late 1990s, intended to educate
American doctors about pain relief, palliative care at the end of life, and alleviation of

3. patients’ fears. The AMA has expressed its concern about the expansion of doctor-assisted
suicide in the Netherlands—which became legal in April 2001—to include euthanasia
without the patient’s knowledge or consent. The American Nurses Association (ANA) signed
on to the amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief submitted by the AMA to the United States
Supreme Court in 1997 opposing doctor-assisted suicide. The ANA also stated that the
health care professions should emphasize respectful, compassionate, and ethically
responsible care at the end of life, including palliative care, so that patients do not seek
assisted suicide as an alternative. Religious groups In the United States and Canada, most
mainstream Christian and Jewish groups remain opposed to active and involuntary
euthanasia, though some permit carefully regulated forms of passive euthanasia.
Assignment: Personal Experiences Learning DiscussionChristian and Jewish groups
emphasize not only God’s ultimate power over death and life, and the value of human beings
as creatures made in God’s image, but also the relationships that
https://search.credoreference.com/savedresults bind humans to one another and to God.
From this perspective, these religious traditions stand in contrast to the individualism of
much of secular culture. Contemporary Buddhist thought is divided on the issue of
euthanasia. Some Buddhist ethicists believe that euthanasia and assisted suicide are both
consistent with Buddhist principles, but others disagree. One reason for the disagreement is
the fact that Buddhism encountered Western medicine and its ethical dilemmas only
relatively recently. Professional implications The goals of medicine and health care
Euthanasia and assisted suicide compel medical professionals to reexamine their
understanding of the purposes and goals of medical treatment. Those who maintain that
preserving life and doing no harm are central to the ethical practice of medicine will have a
different view of euthanasia from those who regard the relief of suffering as central.
Professional-patient relationships The brief that the AMA submitted to the Supreme Court
in 1997 included physician-patient relationships among its reasons for rejecting doctor-
assisted suicide. Many American and Canadian physicians believe that acceptance of doctor-
assisted suicide would undermine the credibility of the health care professions, and destroy
trust between doctors and patients. In addition, others have pointed to the potential abuse
of a physician’s power to end a patient’s life. Interprofessional consultation and cooperation
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are questions that involve public policy, the legal system,
and religious institutions as well as the health care professions. The complexity of the social
and political considerations, together with the moral concerns, requires better
communication among these different groups. One promising development has been the
introduction of graduate-level ethics courses that bring together students from law,
medical, nursing, and theological schools. Another has been the establishment of research
centers and “think tanks” devoted to end-of-life issues. KEY TERMS Active euthanasia—
Putting a person to death as an act of mercy, as when a physician gives a patient a lethal
dose of a medication. Assisted suicide— A form of self-inflicted death in which a person
voluntarily brings about his or her own death with the help of another, usually a physician,
relative, or friend. Doctrine of double effect— A legal principle that protects physicians
treating patients to relieve pain even though the palliative treatment may shorten the
patient’s life. Mercy killing— Another term for euthanasia.

4. https://search.credoreference.com/savedresults Palliative care— A form of health care
intended to relieve pain without attempting to cure the disease or condition. Passive
euthanasia— The withholding of medical care, or not taking some other action to prevent
death; allowing a person to die. Self-deliverance— Another term for assisted suicide.
Voluntary euthanasia— A form of euthanasia in which a person asks to die, either by active
or by passive euthanasia. QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR What ethical concerns should
I be aware of when I am considering medical care for my ageing parent? What is the best
way for me to make my wishes about end-of-life choices known to my family and to medical
personnel? Assignment: Personal Experiences Learning DiscussionWhat individuals on a
medical team can assist me with making informed decisions regarding my well being and
medical care? Are my religious beliefs being taken into consideration with regard to the
medical treatment options you have outlined? Does this hospital have an ethics committee?
Resources BOOKS Allen, James. Health Law and Medical Ethics. Prentice Hall Upper Saddle
River NJ, 2012. Dowbiggin, Ian. A Concise History of Euthanasia: Life, Death, God, and
Medicine. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Lanham MD, 2007. Hester, D. Micah; Toby
Schonfeld, eds. Guidance for Healthcare Ethics Committees. Cambridge University Press
New York NY, 2012. Jackson, Emily; John Keown. Debating Euthanasia. Hart Publishing
Portland OR, 2012. Jonsen, Albert R. A Short History of Medical Ethics. Oxford University
Press New York NY, 2008. Mackinnon, Barbara. Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues,
Concise Edition, 2nd ed. Wadsworth Publishing Belmont CA, 2012. PERIODICALS
https://search.credoreference.com/savedresults Frieden, Joyce. “President’s Ethics Council
Rejects Assisted Suicide.” Family Practice News (Oct. 15, 2005): 72. Halloran, Liz. “Of Life
and Death.” U.S. News & World Report (Oct. 10, 2005): 31. Johnson, Ian S. “Assisted Dying
for the Terminally Ill.” The Lancet (Oct. 22, 2005). 433-434. Marus, Robert. “High Court
Debates Assisted Suicide Law.” The Christian Century (Nov. 1, 2005). 13-14. O’Connor, John.
“Assisted Suicide Getting a Closer Look: As Opposing Sides Gird for Battle, States, Feds, and
the Courts Will Play Major Roles.” McKnight’s Long-Term Care News (May 2005): 22.
Roosevelt, Margot. “Choosing Their Time: The Next Contentious End-of-Life Issue: Assisted
Suicide. How Oregon Offers a Way Out.” Time (April 4, 2005): 31. OTHER Administrative
Committee, National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Statement on Euthanasia. Adopted in
committee, September 1993. American Medical Association, Council on Ethical and Judicial
Affairs. 515 N. State Street., Chicago, IL 60654. (312) 645-5000. http://www.ama-
assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/amacouncils/council-ethical-judicial-
affairs.page. Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod (LC-MS). Christian Care at Life’s End. Report adopted, February 1993.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Division for Church in Society. End of Life
Decisions. Statement adopted by the ELCA Church Council, November 1992. National
Association of Evangelicals (NAE). Termination of Medical Treatment. Resolution adopted
at the NAE Annual Conference Euthanasia, 1994. Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations.
Testimony before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee in a hearing on the Pain
Relief Promotion Act, May 2, 2000. ORGANIZATIONS American Medical Association, 515 N.
State Street Chicago, IL 60654. (800) 621-8335. http://www.ama-assn.org/. American
Nurses Association. 8815 Georgia Ave., Ste. 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910. (800) 2744262.

5. http://www.nursingworld.org. Canadian Medical Association. 1867 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa
ON K1G 5W8. (613) 236-8864 or (888) 855-2555. Fax (613) 236-8864.
http://www.cma.ca/. Citizens United Resisting Euthanasia. 303 Truman St., Berkeley
Springs, WV 25411. (304) 2585433. http://mysite.verizon.net/cureltd/index.html.
Compassion & Choices. P.O. Box 101810, Denver, CO 80250. (800) 247-7421.
https://www.compassionand-choices.org/. Ken R. Wells Rebecca J. Frey, Ph.D. Laura Jean
Cataldo, RN, Ed.D. © 2013 Gale, Cengage Learning
https://search.credoreference.com/savedresults APA citation: Wells, K. R., Frey, R. J., &
Cataldo, L. J. (2013). Euthanasia. In Gale (Ed.), The Gale encyclopedia of nursing and allied
health (3rd ed.). Gale. Credo Reference: https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?
url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galegnaah/euthanasia/0?institution
Id=5865 Need a different citation style? Find it on Credo Online Reference Service
https://search.credoreference.com/savedresults …Assignment: Personal Experiences
Learning Discussion