It is unfortunate for some who do not have a pleasant death. It is inevitable that some will not die well. Many feel that euthanasia may seem humane, and it is an act of compassion to end one is suffering. Assisted suicide has often been used interchangeably with euthanasia; however, assisted suicide seems to be a negative connotation. Derek Humphry would rather it be acknowledge as “justifiable suicide”. “Justifiable suicide is a second form of suicide, that is, rational and planned self-deliverance from a painful and hopeless disease, which will shortly end in death.”(Humphry, Derek. “Why I Believe In Voluntary Euthanasia”. 1995) It may seem to be the right thing to end one from suffering; however, assisted or justifiable suicide is illegal. According to Stephen Jamison, “Suicide ends a life that could continue, and implies irrationality rooted in an identifiable mental condition that may be treatable with proper therapy and medications. An assisted death ends the life of the patient who has gone through the process including physical, social, emotional, and economic factors, whose hope for continued living and cure is gone, and who is faced with the alternative of suffering until inevitable death.” He also goes on to say, “assisted dying is a compassionate act voluntarily requested by a patient who is destined to die and wants to die to relieve his or her suffering.”(Stephen Jamison. “Final Acts of Love: Families, Friends, and Assisted Dying, 1995.)

Beneficence states that the action one takes should benefit others or promote good, while non-maleficence states one has an obligation not to harm others. Healthcare facilities are bound to apply beneficence and non-maleficence within the practice of medicine. In order to fulfill both of these principles, sometimes patients wishes are overridden, thus, creating an ethical dilemma regarding euthanasia. The third principle is autonomy. It states a person has a right to choose what will happen to them. An individual’s capacity for autonomous choice is often challenged by imperfections. These flaws are in the individual’s ability to control his or her desires or actions, such as in cases of mental illness. Ano

Some topics in this essay:
Assisted Dying, Nursing Management, Oath Euthanasia, Stephen Jamison, Nursing Journal, De Anima, Hippocratic Oath, Derek Humphry, , Voluntary Euthanasia”, healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, terminally ill, passive euthanasia, terminally ill patients, suffering assisted, choose death, assisted suicide, euthanasia ethically, favor euthanasia, beneficence non-maleficence,