Utilitarianism Essay On Assisted Suicide

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Assisted Suicide Assisted Suicide Ethics is defined as a “systematic study of and reflection on morality.” Analyzing ethical issues in a systematic way brings us to utilize the six-step process to illustrate the critical thinking process. I read the article ‘Judge Lifts Assisted-suicide Ban’ from the Portland Press Herald (Portland Press, 2012) that discusses an issue in British Columbia legalizing the right to assisted suicides. This is a curious matter in health care, especially as a future nurse who has been taught to advocate for my patients. Countries are continuously fighting the issue of assisted suicide as their population ages. In Canada it has been illegal to “counsel, aid or abet a suicide” (Portland Press, 2012) with a maximum sentencing of 14 years. People argue that the constitution is infringing on the rights to life, liberty and security of persons. The issue in this article is concerned with a few people who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who are seeking the right to assisted suicide, or an “individual rights at the end of life” (Portland Press, 2012).…show more content…
In nursing we approach problems with the understanding of advocating for our patients’ rights, benevolence and non-maleficence. However there are consequences when we analyze own our values of what we would want or believe to be religiously valuable. The benefits of assisting the patient in what they want outweigh the risks of not assisting them. Health care providers must provide a service in which the patient seeks to be beneficial to them. History has proven that people want assistance in ending their life because their quality of life is no longer viable. When health care only prolongs the agony of an illness or disease and the ultimate consequence is they will die, the benefits are no longer in favor for our
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