Assisted suicide is one of the most controversial topics in the field of health care. There are valid arguments presented on both sides of the discussion, and depending on the personal beliefs of the medical professional, it may either sound like an act of great mercy or incredibly dangerous practice that undermines the sanctity of life. After examining the scenario attached to the assignment, I was conflicted about this issue. Previously, I had a strong belief that this is an unacceptable practice in which I would never participate. However, the wording of one of the arguments against it slightly changed my mind on the issue. The argument proposed that a person should die bravely rather than use assisted suicide.
This notion struck me as unethical based on our previous examination of ethical philosophies. Care ethics state that harm and suffering for the patient should be minimized for it to be an ethical practice, and the will of the patient should be taken seriously. If the argument against the practice only results in more suffering and disregard for the patient’s opinion, refusing it would be unethical, especially when the final outcome is guaranteed to be the same. While I would not want to participate in the practice of assisted suicide due to my personal beliefs, through the process of critical thinking, I became much more understanding of the idea. The examination of the practice also shows that the process is taken extremely seriously by all the participating medical professionals (Jacobs, 2016). Therefore, I believe that response A is the closest to being fully ethical. However, additional elements such as religious consulting should be given to patients before their final decision.
References
Jacobs, B. B. (2016). Respect for human dignity in nursing: Philosophical and practical perspectives. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research Archive, 32(2), 15–33.