Euthanasia

Euthanasia

Euthanasia can be defined as an act of intentionally and deliberately killing someone who is suffering from any illness or any sickness that has uncontrollable pain or is incurable. It can be defined by an example that if someone has been diagnosed with cancer that is incurable or he is at the last stages of cancer. Ultimately the patient would die but with a series of pain and discomfort. To end the pain and take the patient's life in professional surveillance is known as euthanasia.

Types of euthanasia

There are several types of euthanasia depending on the situations.

Assisted euthanasia

Assisted euthanasia is that in which some professional doctor or nurse deliberately provides help or assistance to the patient or person who wants to commit suicide or has a sickness or illness.

Active euthanasia

It is that in which a person intentionally attempts to kill someone for example but providing injections or heavy dosage of lethal drugs.

Passive euthanasia

It is that in which a person or patient is withhold from the treatment that is necessary for his survival for example, withholding the usage of drugs in a patient suffering from pneumonia.

Voluntary euthanasia

It is the type of euthanasia in which a person or patient asks for help or asks assistance to die.

Non voluntary euthanasia

This type of euthanasia is that in a situation when a person or patient is unable to make a conscious statement for the commitment of suicide. This happens if a person is held in a coma or has several injuries or is damaged so severely that he is unable to talk. In this situation some relative or close friend of the patient takes the responsibility and allows the authority to end the life of the patient to help him save from any further pain.

Involuntary euthanasia

It is that type of euthanasia in which a person has been killed against his wish to die. Involuntary euthanasia in almost every situation is considered as a murder.

Ethical problems of euthanasia

As a nurse it is important to know the value of life and the value of the person. Even if a patient is suffering from an illness or any disease that is incurable it is certainly unethical to consider euthanasia for that particular patient. The family has the last chance to meet the patient and spend some time with him. Taking that time away from them is cruel and illegal according to the law. Even if the family assist the doctor ...