I am a nurse practitioner in primary care in Illinois. My appeal is dedicated to such a problem as euthanasia and the right to use it. Currently, so-called physician assisted suicide is legal in 11 American states, but not in mine (“States with legal,” 2021). This means that terminally ill people are burden on their families and/or caregivers, losing their autonomy and dignity, which are the main reasons why Americans support euthanasia (Dugdale et al., 2019). Therefore, it doubtlessly should be legalized or at least decriminalized, if not throughout the United States, then at the level of Illinois.
It is essential to highlight that such a fundamental initiative doubtlessly requires a well-balanced approach. Although certain experts insist that the response from both incurable patients and medical practitioners will be positive, several issues may emerge, not solely ethical, but organizational as well (Wright, 2018). Thus, the primary question is what types of medical facilities need the right to perform euthanasia. The possible answer is to develop the functionality of both ordinary public hospitals and hospices that are located in their departments (McKinnon & Orellana-Barrios, 2019). This would allow for broader coverage, as these types of institutions may house different demographics of patients.
In addition, it is critical to specify the desirable methods of euthanasia. The most illustrative way to do this is to survey the patients who want it on their preferences (Pesut et al., 2019). Another question that may arise is whether this practice will bring financial benefits for the state and health care. It actually has a positive answer since the use of euthanasia reduces the cost of maintaining terminally ill people (Woodruff, 2018). Considering this, the proposal involves directing the saved funds to treating patients who do have hope for recovery.
As a nurse, I would like to highlight that my colleagues play a significant role in the discourse. Specifically, we are the conductors of negotiations between the authorities and healthcare (Pesut et al., 2019). The voluntary participation of medical personnel in the use of euthanasia, therefore, is critical for the adoption of this bill. Notably, every patient should have the right to choose the method of his or her death in case it is inevitable. The medical staff will be obliged to comply with this request and not think that it undermines their moral foundations.
References
Dugdale, L. S., Lerner, B. H., & Callahan, D. (2019). Pros and cons of physician aid in dying.Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 92(4), 747–750. Web.
McKinnon, B., & Orellana-Barrios, M. (2019). Ethics in physician-assisted dying and euthanasia.The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles, 7(30), 36–42. Web.
Pesut, B., Creig, M., Thorne, S., Storch, J., Burgess, M., Tishelman, C., Chambaere, K., & Janke, R. (2019). Nursing and euthanasia: A narrative review of the nursing ethics literature.Nursing Ethics, 27(1), 152-167. Web.
States with legal physician-assisted suicide. (2021). ProCon. Web.
Woodruff, R. (2018). Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide – Are they clinically necessary or desirable? Hospiscare. Web.
Wright, A. (2018). Ethical considerations and implications for euthanasia and assisted suicide in New Zealand. School of Nursing Online Journal. Web.