Campbell, C. S., & Cox, J. C. (2010, September/October). Hospice and physician-assisted death: Collaboration, compliance, and complicity. Hastings Center Report, 40(5), 26-35. Retrieved from EBSCOhostCampbell and Cox discuss the issue of euthanasia in Hospice facilities in Oregon. They examine the issue on how practicing euthanasia doesn’t follow the original Hospice value of caring for a patient. Campbell and Cox are able to get their research across by providing graphs to represent the different views that people have towards physician assisted death. They provide information about people who are for or against physician assisted suicide. Their article helps readers understand health care professionals and patients views on the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.
Chaloner, C., & Sanders, K. (2007, May 16). Euthanasia: The legal issues. NURSING
STANDARD, 21(36), 42-46. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Chris Chaloner and Karen Sanders discuss the views on rather or not the law of euthanasia should be changed in the United Kingdom, and how nurses’ voices need to be heard on the issue. Euthanasia is illegal in the United Kingdom, but many citizens believe that Parliament should legalize the act of euthanasia. The authors discuss the different views that people have towards changing the law, but focus more on why people object euthanasia. Chaloner and Sander believe debaters of the issue should focus more on actual facts of euthanasia instead of basing it on emotion, and believe readers will have an easier time making their decision if there are more facts available to them. They believe that doctors and others need support their views with evidence, instead of stating their opinions. Their article helps with getting a better understanding of the euthanasia issue in the United Kingdom.
Chan, L., & Lien, D. (2010, December). The value of planned death. Socio-Economics, 39(6), 692-695. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
The authors express their views on how medical cost, is the main reason why the ill might make the decision of performing euthanasia. These patients can’t afford treatment to cure or control their pain from the disease, so they go with the option of euthanasia. The authors believe that there are only certain cases when people should choose euthanasia, if there is a big probability that they won’t undergo pain it’s pointless, but if they have a big chance of going through a lot of suffering it should be considered. They provide their information in a “theoretical model” which calculates the cost of medical care and euthanasia, and which option patients can benefit from more. Chan and Lien believe if more money were to be spent trying to help these suffering patients, than less people will have euthanasia performed. This article helps with euthanasia, and the different factors for a person’s decision of choosing euthanasia.
Cooper, C. (2007, December 12). An assisted death is a right for all. Pulse, 20-21
Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Dr. Chris Cooper wants the terminally ill to have the right to their own life. He believes if the patient is in pain and the suffering can’t be controlled they have the right to die in a dignified matter. No one should be forced to continue on with their life, and that’s why “Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill Bill’ needs to be passed. He knows that there will be arguments against the bill and how the lives of patients may be taken without their consent, but he feels that there is no evidence to support these statements. Dr. Cooper’s article helps with supporting why euthanasia should be allowed, by providing evidence to his views.
Dinchi, J. (2010, June 7). Death with dignity. The Baltimore sun. Retrieved from
The article deals with the conviction of a Baltimore physician, who was accused of assisted suicide. Dr. Larry Egbert believed that his patients shouldn’t have to undergo pain due to their illness, so he performed euthanasia. He had his patients go through agonizing pain; well he was ending their life. Final Exit Network, believes what this doctor did was wrong, even though they assist people to end their life. They state that they may help a person take their life, but they make sure that they’re not going through pain during the process. The article by Final Exit Network is helpful because it shows that they support only certain methods of taking person’s life, and how they didn’t agree with the doctor that was taking the lives of his patients.
Jeffrey, D. (2009). Against physician assisted suicide a palliative care perspective.
Oxford, United Kingdom: Radcliffe
David Jeffrey book expresses his views, on why Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS), shouldn’t be legalized in the United Kingdom. He believes assisted suicide isn’t necessarily a dignified way to die, and patients can die in a peaceful matter without performing euthanasia. Jeffrey goes in to depth about pain and suffering not being the reason for patients choosing PAS, but the limited amount of healthcare provided in order to control their pain. He explains how it’s against the healthcare professional’s ethics to perform PAS, and how many healthcare providers might abuse PAS if it were to be legalized. His book focuses on both sides of the euthanasia debate, but he’s able to state important aspects on why PAS shouldn’t be legalized. He’s able to support his statements by providing stories of terminally ill patients’ testimonies on why they wanted PAS to be performed on them, because they didn’t want to be a burden, and feared the pain and suffering that they were going to face in the future. This book helps with the relevance of euthanasia and why it shouldn’t be legalized.
Lachman, V. (2010, March/April). Physician-assisted suicide: Compassionate liberation or murder. MEDSURG Nursing, 19(2), 121-125 Retrieved from EBSCOhostVicki Lachman provides information on both sides of the issue of physician assisted suicide (PAS). She examines the legal issue with nurses, and how their morals will be affected by participating in PAS. One view is that nurses need to respect the life of the patient by not taking their life. Other nurses feel that the patient has every right to end their life, and are willing to help them in the process. Vicki’s article helped with examining both sides of the issue instead favoring one more than the other.
Novak, D. (2007). The sanctity of human life (pp. 111-160). Washington, DC:
GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PRESS.
David Novak’s book examines the different ways to view physician-assisted suicide. He examines the views in a religious, philosophical, and political manner. He believes that as a society we need to take care of one another and not go with the task of performing euthanasia. He discusses how euthanasia comes into conflict with religion, and no one should take the life away that God has given them. Novak believes that if a doctor takes a life of a patient he’s committing murder. So Novak expresses that he’s against any form of euthanasia. His book helps understand the political and religious views on euthanasia and how they share some of the same beliefs.
Slight, B. P. (2009). Could Physician-Assisted Suicide be classified as a Service under Article 49. Medical Law International, 10(2), 139-163. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.The article considers rather or not physician assisted suicide (PAS) is considered a service, under “Article 49 of the European Community Treaty.”Ben Slight says, if PAS were to be considered a service than it would no longer be illegal to perform euthanasia. If PAS were to become a service in the United Kingdom the government can’t stop the terminally ill from ending their life. He believes that the terminally ill should have the right to end their life, and hopes that Parliament would recognize PAS as a service instead of illegal activity. Slight’s article is able to give insight towards the political problems of euthanasia and how Parliament may never legalize the practice of euthanasia.
Young, R. (2007). Medically assisted death. Cambridge, United Kingdom: CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Robert Young’s main purpose for writing this book is to change the law of medically assisted suicide. Young is a strong believer of legalizing voluntary euthanasia (VE), but he doesn’t consider the legalization of involuntary euthanasia. In his book he provides information about a number of legal cases of voluntary euthanasia, in order to argue his view. He provides certain regulations to protect patients so VE wouldn’t be abused, and doctors won’t take advantage of the vulnerable patients. He believes the competent have a right to their life, as while as the incompetent if they have an advance directive that states their life should be ended. Young’s book is useful since, he provides valuable reasons on why voluntary euthanasia should be legalized.
