Persuasive Essay On Euthanasia

“Earlier in the year, my great grandmother turned 101 years old. Many of my family members and I went to her hospital to congratulate her and give her wishes. When she blew out her birthday candles she had little to no expression on her face. But by now, we had gotten used to it. My mom told her to make a wish. The poor old woman said, ‘I wish that I could go to sleep and never wake up.’” This quote is from one of my co-workers. We had a lengthy conversation about the topic of assisted suicide and the birth of this research topic. In our current society, people are living longer than ever before. Medical advances have made it possible for patients to fight against diseases that would have ended their life in the past. Many patients are having medical procedures and medication to prolong their life, oftentimes at the expense of their quality of life. Many wonder, is it worth it? Should patients be allowed to decide when they should be allowed to die? Many nurses that deal with critically ill patients believe they should.
Euthanasia means to end life to avoid the debilitating effects of disease and aging. Active euthanasia involves a specific death causing act. The physician preforming the act is doing so with the intention of the

The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Belgium have legalized euthanasia. Also, it has been legalized in Oregon, Washington, and Vermont. Canada’s Supreme Court has distinguished between medical aid in dying, euthanasia, and physician assisted death (Canadian Nurses Protective Society 2015). Medical aid in dying is aided by a physician. The physician could directly cause death or assist the patient in causing their own death. Euthanasia is purposefully ending the patient’s life. Physician assisted death is when the physician advises the patient how to end their life. The Canadian Supreme Court has been trying a case which will decide if it will become legal in their