Free Essay Sample. Pam Allen

The primary ethical issue in this scenario is assisted suicide. Assisted suicide is the act of offering a critically ill patient upon request to prompt death. The American Nurses Association's (ANA's) Code of Ethics for Nurses maintains that nurses need to offer the best support to dying patients and also ensure that patients get the best during their last moments (Emanuel, Onwuteaka-Philipsen, Urwin & Cohen, 2016, p. 80). The code, however, maintains that nurses should not participate in assisted suicide and need only to ensure that patients get the full care of dying patients. Assisted suicide from the scenario thus presents a morally challenging issue according to established codes of ethics. Assisted suicide is not only controversial but also ethical and emotional.

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The nurse's response at the end of the paragraph is not only professional but also sensitive and in line with established codes of ethics that guide healthcare givers in their line of duty. She follows the guidelines despite the patient's adamant stand for assisted suicide. Taking things differently could have complicated the ethical aspect of the whole scenario. For example, if the nurse could have assisted the patient, she could have contravened established standards that outline the nurse's role and place as a professional caregiver. A nurse's primary duty is to care for terminally ill patients up to their last moments in life (Emanuel et al. 2016, p. 82). The code also outlines measures and outlines how the nurse should approach a patient who is requesting assisted suicide. The code of ethics is self-explanatory on a nurse's relationship with the client, a relationship that is based on well-being, care, goodness, and professionalism. It would thus go against established standards to help the patient with assisted suicide.

On a personal level, I would advise the patient to remain positive and hopeful toward regaining her health. Despite all odds, it is always critical to instill confidence in a patient to influence their healing process. For maximum success and outcome, I would have involved a fellow nurse in helping me talk the patient out of the idea of assisted suicide.

Assisted suicide is legal in Colorado. According to Colorado laws, any actions taken while following the established legislation do not mean homicide or suicide. The majority of healthcare givers support assisted suicide in Colorado, arguing that it helps reduce "painful death." In the case of Pam Allan, I would advise her not to rush into the idea of assisted suicide. I would recommend she to allow the medical team to exhaust all treatment options before resorting to assisted suicide. However, this would call for a very close candid talk that will explore all available avenues of treatment toward improving Pam's well-being. Although Colorado permits assisted suicide, it should not be used as an excuse to hurry a patient upon their request. Death, whether from typical causes of disease or supported, is very emotional and painful and should be approached with an open mind. One of the most important things I would advise Pam is that death should not be taken as a solution and should only come into consideration when all treatment options are exhausted.

Nurses should not take part in assisted suicide. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), participating in assisted suicide contravenes the Code for Nurses and the moral practices of the nursing profession. It is thus crucial for any nurse to uphold human life with dignity and respect despite a patient's request for the same (Sulmasy et al., 2019, p. 1373). Although the patient may be terminally ill, the nursing profession is not about ending life, but about improving healthcare services and restoring patients' health irrespective of how deemed or deplorable the patient's condition.

References

Emanuel, E. J., Onwuteaka-Philipsen, B. D., Urwin, J. W., & Cohen, J. (2016). Attitudes and practices of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jama, 316(1), 79-90. Retrieved from https://preview.thenewsmarket.com/Previews/JOUR/DocumentAssets/440789.pdf

Sulmasy, D. P., Finlay, I., Fitzgerald, F., Foley, K., Payne, R., & Siegler, M. (2019). Physician-assisted suicide: against medical neutrality. Journal of general internal medicine, 34(8), 1372-1372. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11606-019-05019-1.pdf