Euthanasia the assisted killing of a terminal patient is a controversial topic that medical professionals cannot avoid. Many health professionals face the ethical dilemma of whether or not they should end a patient’s misery. Patient’s rights are always the top priority, doctors are taught to find every possible way to treat and cure the patient, but the possibility of the patient being irremediable to what extent is the health care professionals willing to go to give the patient their wishes? Many people believe that euthanasia is a patient’s right.
According to ProCon. org, “… terminally ill person has a protected liberty interest in choosing to end intolerable suffering by bringing about his or her own death” (ProCon. org, “Top 10 Pros and Cons”). Claiming that everyone has the right to choose their death. The website also went deeper into the matter by bringing the Hippocratic Oath, “do no harm” (ProCon. org, “Top 10 Pros and Cons”). It questions the quote of the term harm, harm being to inflict pain to a patient, although, if a patient is suffering the reality of death nearby, but can’t dismiss the torment, goes against the Hippocratic Oath.
According to Boer “Euthanasia defined as “active life termination by a doctor, at the patient’s request” the termination of a person’s life without his or her request is not referred to as ‘euthanasia’… ” (Boer, “Euthanasia, Ethics And Theology: A Dutch Perspective”). Therefore, euthanasia is not to kill a patient, but simply just to appease the patient’s wish. Yet, according to Quaghebeur the patient”… trusts in the role of the nurse as a healer” (Quaghebeur, “Nursing And Euthanasia: A Review of Argument-Based Ethics Literature”) letting the patient die goes against with the care that a patient has sought for in the first place.
Although, Fenigsen stated that “In hundreds of cases there have been clear indications that medical personnel acted to cause of at least hasten old people’s deaths” (Fenigsen, “Other People’s Lives: Reflections On Medicine, Ethics, And Euthanasia”), some hospitals are taking advantage of euthanasia and are “nurses at Kingsway Hospital in Derby… were withdrawing food and water from patients” (Fenigsen, Other People’s Lives: Reflections On Medicine, Ethics, And Euthanasia), ultimately killing the patient. I have witnessed doctors who want to keep the bed clear by withdrawing treatment or actively assisted in deaths” (Fenigsen, “Other People’s Lives: Reflections On Medicine, Ethics, And Euthanasia”), this is ethically wrong, healthcare professionals should not be able to kill a patient. Although, if the concept of euthanasia was not introduced possibilities of the nurses doing so to the patient would not be likely.
Since, there would be no excuse to hide behind, clearly one can see that killing a patient and killing a patient with their consent is still going to have the same result the patient being dead. These are clear examples of ProCon. rg “Assisted suicide is a half-way house, a stop on the way to other forms of direct euthanasia… involuntary or nonvoluntary” (ProCon. org, “Top 10 Pros and Cons)”, a slippery slope to the downfall of ethics. I believe that euthanasia should not be legal. Medical professionals already have many burdens throughout their medical path, adding the guilt of killing someone to the list is not fair for the healthcare professionals and the family members. Euthanasia is ethically and morally wrong because the doctors have to continue to find possible ways to treat the patient not to give the patient the option of choosing to die.
The incident in “Britain with the nurses technically killing the patient could have been avoided” (Fenigsen, “Other People’s Lives: Reflections On Medicine, Ethics, And Euthanasia”). Although, some people might believe that ending the patient’s pain is ending their suffering, but many fail to realize the actual outcome if euthanasia were to be practiced. For instance, “If terminating life is a benefit, the reasoning goes, why should euthanasia be limited only to those who can give consent? Why need we ask for consent” (ProCon. org, “Top Ten Pros and Cons)”, the slippery slope a reality to come.
Overall, I believe that euthanasia should not be legalized because the concept is cruel and one is basically committing murder. Most people have morals and the community has ethics that are created and adapted to figure out what is morally or ethically right or wrong. Yet, as time goes on the line between these two concepts are getting blurred, but one should never be influenced by the misconceptions of helping someone live or ending their life. Next time, when one gets in between these ethical dilemmas they should reconsider the actual outcomes of their actions