The Ethics Of Assisted Suicide - 1526 Words

Abstract Physician assisted suicide, otherwise noted as â€Å"PAS,† has existed for many years, however has made a controversial appearance in legislation recently. Patients’ and their end of life decisions have shaped the way PAS has been portrayed today. Nurses play an important role in the everyday life of transitioning patients, which places them at the forefront of assisted suicide. Nurses must have clear and defined rules when it applies to assisted suicide, and what they can do if this situation were to ever be considered by a patient. Until political change occurs, nurses must adhere to the Code of Ethics as defined by the ANA. Many arguments are being proposed to change legislation in favor of assisted suicide.†¦show more content†¦It has been available in parts of Switzerland since 1942 (Darr, 2007), however assisted suicide was not introduced to the United States until 1990. Not only is euthanasia allowed, but even individuals as young as 16 years of age can request assisted suicide (Darr, 2007). Dr. Jack Kevorkian or â€Å"Dr. Death† was the first to be known for euthanizing and assisting his patients with suicide by utilizing a device that â€Å"enabled people who wanted to die to self ­administer toxic chemicals, after initial assistance from a physician† (Darr, 2007, p. 31). This idea sparked a legal and ethical dilemma that is still discussed heavily today in many settings. Currently there are currently five states that allows physician assisted suicide in the United States. Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Montana, and New Mexico (within certain jurisdictions) all currently allow this legislation (Time, 2014). Since this recognition, other states such as California are also considering introducing similar assisted suicide bills. For example, California has introduced the â€Å"End of Life Option Act† as of January 2015, which resembles SHIFTED NURSING VIEWS ON ASSISTED SUICIDE 4 Oregon’s Physician Assisted Suicide laws (Trossman, 2015). Views on whether PAS is ethical have been increasing around the United States. ANA Standards for Assisted Suicide The Code of Ethics as defined by the The American Nurse Association has established a set of standards for how a