I am for assisted suicide, but like you, think there needs to be careful determination that it is not a temporary depression.
PS, I took the hint and linked you, but don't move me to the Nurse Blogs that Link Spot. I want a special place, Nurse Photographers that link to me.
I think if people really took a serious poll, you would be surprised at what nurses and doctors really think about this issue.
They'll be a new special place for nurse photographers!!
I'm kind of torn on the issue and I must admit that I am not well versed in what an assisted suicide entails.
What I believe may very well fall into the assisted suicide definiton.
I do believe that if the patient has an illness that they are not expected to recover from and that the time they have left will be spent in misery then I agree that ALL forms of pain management should be administered in order to make this person comfortable. Though I do not believe that the dose should INTENTIONALLY be high enough to kill the patient. Comfort yes and if the dose required to keep them comfortable leads to depressed breathing and subsequent death, then I think it's okay. But again I do not believe that we as a society should give large doses of mediation with the intent purpose of killing another person.
Not sure where I fall according to the proper defnition of assisted suicide. Looks like I may do some reading up on the issue.
Good thought provoking post. Thanks
Dawn
I think there is a fine line with comfort care when a patient is very close to death anyway. We all know that any "last dose" could very well be the "last dose". I think by definition, assisted suicide is when a patient makes a request for a large enough one time dose that will end their lives. I am very familiar with end of life care and have many families request that I medicate a patient even though they don't appear to be restless or in pain. I will give a medication as frequently as the med is ordered and not sooner, unless they are agitated or in pain.. then I call the doctor for higher doses or increase in frequency. I think that patients should have the opportunity to make that final call themselves and let those who will assist them do so without fear of arrest. It is an interesting subject!
I have mixed feelings on this issue.
Personally, I want to be able to decide when I have reached the end of my life, assuming that I have a terminal illness of course.
However, I am not comfortable with another person's say-so that they have reached this point.
I guess that leaves me sitting on the fence.....
Totally understandable, Deb.. I think most people are torn between not wanting others to suffer but over who makes the final call..
Strangely enough, Ellen.. through working with people who have terminal illness, I have gotten more comfortable with people making the decisions to quit suffering. Thank goodness, I haven't had to make that decision myself..
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