Physician Assisted Suicide

Physician Assisted Suicide Free Online Research Papers Debbie was a 20 year old girl with a severe case of ovarian cancer, and was a patient of the gynecologic-oncology unit at her local hospital. She was having unrelenting problems with vomiting as a result of an alcohol drip that was being administered for her sedation. Her appearance was that of extreme emaciation, and her breathing was always very loud and heavily labored. Her condition led onlookers to pure shock and disbelief that a girl so young could look so old. She was receiving nasal oxygen, had an IV, and was obviously suffering from what could only be severe air hunger. Her medical chart noted that she only weighed eighty pounds. Debbie’s eyes were sunken in and looked hollow, and she had suprasternal and intercostal retractions with her rapid respirations. It had been a full 48 hours since Debbie had either eaten or slept. She had shown absolutely no signs of improvement with her chemotherapy, and seemed to be worn and beaten by her struggle to survive. Debbie’s only words to the nurse administering her supportive care were â€Å"Let’s get this over with.† Debbie’s mother was by her side on the night that the gynecologic resident was paged to Debbie’s room. The resident was expecting this late night page to be an elderly woman that was having trouble getting to sleep, and was amazed by what she saw when she arrived at the room- a middle aged woman standing next to the bed of what could only be her sister, or so she thought until the resident saw the patient’s age on her chart. The resident, after reviewing the chart of the patient, and having a discussion with the mother, decided that while she may not be able to give Debbie health, she could give her rest. The resident went to the nurse’s station, and asked a nurse to draw 20mg of morphine sulfate into a syringe- enough, she thought, to do the job. She took the syringe back to Debbie’s room, and told the two women that she was going to give Debbie something that would help her rest, and that now was the time to say good-bye. Debbie’s moth er smiled and said her final words to Debbie while she was still alive, then gave the resident the OK. The resident injected the morphine sulfate into Debbie intravenously, and waited for the signs that her calculations on the effect of the medicine were correct. Within seconds, Debbie’s breath slowed to a normal rate, her eyes closed, and her features softened as she finally seemed at rest. Debbie’s breath continued to slow, and with clock-like certainty, had almost completely ceased within four minutes. Her breathing became very irregular, then ceased completely. Debbie was no longer alive. Identify and Discuss: Should Debbie have been assisted by the resident in her suicide? There are many things to consider when asking this question. First and foremost, what did Debbie want? By her saying â€Å"Let’s get this over with,† it can safely be assumed that Debbie was ready for her pain and suffering to end. While Debbie was at a very young age in her life, the ovarian cancer had led to her having to constantly be in a state of sedation via IV alcohol drip. She had excessive trouble breathing, and from her emaciated state, we can also assume that she was having serious problems with either ingestion or digestion, or both. Debbie had already tried chemotherapy, but it had failed thus far. Another factor to consider would be the opinion of Debbie’s mother. While by Debbie’s bedside in the hospital, the mother seemed to agree with Debbie that it was time for the pain and suffering to end. Debbie’s mother was probably upset by seeing her daughter in such a horrible condition for so long, that she was also ready to use the last resort of ending Debbie’s life. The case did not say anything about Debbie’s father so his opinion is not able to be taken into account. Next to consider would be the legality of the resident helping Debbie to end her life. The case does not specify where this hospital is located; however, in every state, with the exception of Oregon, physician assisted suicide is illegal. If this hospital happened to be in Oregon, then it was within the resident’s legal rights to assist Debbie in her death. However, if this hospital was not in Oregon, then the resident that administered the morphine sulfate was doing something illegal, and could be tried for murder. Another consideration would be the professional values that deal with physician assisted suicide. According to the Washington School of Medicine, half of practicing physicians believe that physician assisted suicide is ethically justifiable in certain cases. An average of one in five physicians will at some point in their career get a request for physician assisted suicide, and about twenty percent of these physicians will go through with the PAS. (Braddock) Propose: I believe that in Debbie’s case, the resident was ethically justified in administering the morphine sulfate. It is what Debbie and her mother wanted, so that Debbie’s pain and suffering would be alleviated. The resident first and foremost respected Debbie’s autonomy by performing the injection. Decisions about time and method of death are very personal, and a competent patient such as Debbie should have the right to choose when and how they die. Debbie made that decision by stating â€Å"Let’s get this over with.† Another justification for the resident was a combination of justice and compassion. All like cases should be treated alike, and with Debbie being in a state at which she was competent to make her own decisions, she could have refused treatment to hasten her own death. For some patients, like Debbie, death by refusal of treatment is not quick enough, and suicide is the only way, as they are experiencing unbearable suffering. This suffering for Debbie was apparently not alleviated by her alcohol drip, and chemotherapy had already failed to treat her cancer, so it was out of compassion that the resident administered the morphine sulfate injection. Critique: There are some critiques of performing physician assisted suicide- the first being the sanctity of life. This argument points out strong religious and secular traditions against taking human life. It may be argued that the resident should not have performed the PAS, but the case said nothing of either the resident’s religious beliefs or Debbie’s. Another critique could be the passive versus active distinction. The argument here holds that there is an important difference between passively letting die and actively killing. Some might argue that treatment refusal or withholding treatment equates to letting die and is justifiable, whereas PAS equates to killing and is not justifiable. One more critique would be that PAS demotes the image of the medical profession. This argument points to the historical ethical traditions of medicine, which are strongly opposed to taking life. For instance, the Hippocratic Oath states, I will not administer poison to anyone where asked, and Be of benefit, or at least do no harm. Furthermore, major professional groups (AMA, AGS) oppose assisted death. The overall concern is that linking PAS to the practice of medicine could harm the publics image of the profession. (Braddock) Bibliography Braddock, Clarence H. MD, MPH. Physician Assisted Suicide. Ethics in Medicine. University of Washington School of Medicine. http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pas.html Research Papers on Physician Assisted SuicideArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)The Fifth HorsemanThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyThe Hockey GameHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayThe Spring and Autumn19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetMind Travel Physician Assisted Suicide Free Online Research Papers Physician assisted suicide and the right to die; these words bring to most people’s minds the name Dr. Jack Kevorkian or â€Å"Dr. Death† as he has been labeled by the media. Dr. Kevorkian designed a â€Å"suicide machine† that could terminate a patient’s life through a serious of intravenous injections. This brought him national attention and ridicule, but there is much more to this subject. There is more than what the surface has shown. Those who automatically dismiss the subject of physician assisted suicide as immoral likely have no personal experience with loved ones who have suffered through horrible, pain-intensive terminal illnesses. In 1992, my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She suffered months of exhausting treatment. This was the right choice for her, but it was all for naught. There was a point in her treatment in which the doctors determined that further medical treatment would not save her life. During the last few weeks of her life, she was in grave pain. The doctor had prescribed the strongest pain medication available at the time, liquid morphine. I was charged with her medical care, along with a friend of hers, during the last few weeks of her life. In order to keep my grandmother from agonizing pain, I asked the doctor to increase the doses of morphine. At one point, the doctor administered triple and quadruple the amounts of regular morphine doses to my grandmother. The amount had little effect on my grandmother. Many times I thought of increasing the morphine dosage enough so that she would fall asleep and never wake up again. I wanted to the pain away from her forever. I didn’t have to think about that decision for long. Shortly after my grandmother stopped breathing, I realized the cancer had taken her from me and the world. My grandmother’s experience is a good example of what could have been a physician-assisted suicide. Sounding Board, Death and Dignity (New England Journal of Medicine, March 7th 1991) is an article written by a pseudo-name, Timothy E. Quill, M.D. Quill is a medical physician who goes on to describe about his experience with a former patient of his. This patient, whom he refers to â€Å"Diane†, was diagnosed with acute myelomonocytic leukemia. This form of leukemia is terminal. Quill writes that he knew Diane for quite some time and had knowledge of some of the trials and tribulations she had been through in her life. Diane suffered from alcoholism, depression, and uterine cancer. Quill writes that Diane was able to overcome these demons. Quill informed Diane cancer diagnosis. He also informed her that her cancer treatment would be exhausting and last for months. The treatments would make her extremely sick and weak. Despite the treatment, Diane’s chances of survival would only be twenty-five percent. Quill informs Diane that time is not on her side and treatment would begin immediately. Diane soon realized that her chances of survival were reduced with each passing day. Diane decided that she needed to discuss her options with her family. Quill writes that Diane returned two days later and informed him that she was refusing further treatment. Diane stated that she realized her chances of survival were reduced with each passing day. Quill was surprised at Diane’s decision. He respected her wish to refuse further treatment. Quill ensured Diane that he would take the necessary steps to make sure that her remaining days would be medically comfortable for her. Within time, Diane’s symptoms became progressively worse. Diane realized then she didn’t have much time left. Diane requested a prescription for barbiturates from Quill. Quill was familiar with the Hemlock Society, an organization dedicated to fighting for a patient’s right to die. Quill knew that barbiturates are a key ingredient in a Hemlock Society suicide. Quill determined that Diane experiencing trouble sleeping, yet he struggled with her request for barbiturates. Ultimately, Quill prescribed barbiturates for Diane, all the while knowing that she would use them to end her life. In my opinion, I believe Quill made the right decision regarding Diane. Diane’s story was not about a woman suffering from depression wishing to end her life. Diane’s story is a true life example of an individual faced with a slow, painful death due to a terminal illness. In my opinion, Quill likely felt guilty knowing that Diane would suffer a slow, painful death. The guilt of allowing Diane to suffer a painful death was likely much greater than any guilt he felt about violating the law; professionally or legally. I strongly believe that individuals should think more about the bigger picture physician-assisted suicides. My experience long ago with my grandmother taught me the difference between spirit of the law and the letter of the law. The Hemlock Society has been an integral part of fighting for patient’s right to die with dignity. On October 27th, 1997, physician-assisted suicide became legal in the State of Oregon for terminally ill patients meeting the requirements of the law. In my opinion, other states should follow Oregon’s lead regarding physician-assisted suicide. The United States Supreme Court is currently examining physician-assisted suicide to determine if our nation will follow Oregon’s lead. Research Papers on Physician Assisted SuicideArguments for Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS)Personal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentLifes What IfsGenetic EngineeringThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsThe Fifth HorsemanMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductThree Concepts of PsychodynamicThe Effects of Illegal Immigration

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer

How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer Getting (and staying) organized at work is no easy feat. Your inbox is constantly filling up with emails and meeting invites Your desk is covered in random piles of sticky notes†¦ And your office messaging system is blowing up non-stop. It’s no wonder you struggle like craaazzzy to *actually* get anything done. #truth But when you’re a marketer who is responsible for a million projects, tasks, and deadlines†¦ being organized is a more than just a nice-to-have†¦ Being organized at work is a necessity. And by the end of this post you will: Know how to get organized at work (thanks to # organizational tips) Learn about # powerful organization tools that can help you get organized AND have access to a couple of *very* helpful organizational templates. Let’s get organized, shall we? How to Get Organized at Work When Youre a Marketer via @How To Get Organized At Work Getting organized at work doesn’t have to be a struggle†¦ BUT it does take some effort. And when I say â€Å"effort† I mean that getting organized at work is about more that just â€Å"getting organized at work.† Because honestly, your life *outside* of work also has to be a bit organized for it not to cramp your style from 9 to 5. 😕 Another thingif you’re one of those people who thinks that their disorganization is part of their â€Å"creative genius† Let me stop you right there with a series of cold, hard facts about organization (which come from our latest marketing research report  (as of 2018): Fact #1 Marketers who document their strategies are 538% more successful than those who don’t (which means it’s not left to chance). Fact #2 Marketers who document their processes are 466% more successful than those who don’t (which means success is actually linked to getting organized). Fact #3 Marketers who set goals are 429% more successful than those who don’t (and goal setting doesn’t just happen by accident it takes an organized effort). ^^^Said another way, it’s proven that marketers who proactively organize are more successful than those who constantly fly by the seat of their pants. Getting organized is proven  to help marketers like you succeed. (And tbh that’s pretty sweet). So without further ado†¦ Let’s dive into a series of organizational tips that are going to help you organize your life, your desk (cough cough), and your workload so that you can be a successful (and hella organized) marketer. Organizational Tips Getting organized at work is more than just cleaning off your desktop and sorting files (even though that’s a great place to start) Getting organized at work should actually start with making sure certain aspects of your life are well-organized, too. So before we jump into how to get organized at work, let’s jump into 5 ways you can organize your life. Organized Life Tip #1: Get a good amount of sleep First things first to really feel organized, you need to make sure to always get a good amount of sleep. 😠´ It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hours and WAY too much caffeine. It’s literally impossible to think  clearly when you’re running on a shortage of snoozin hoursTip #2: Rely on a planner Rely on a planner (digital or paper) to help you remember (and show up on time for) every meeting. Plus, writing down important dates + times actually a) makes it easier to remember (because you’ve taken the time to write it down) and b) lets your brain free up important space for idkactually executing a marketing strategy. ;) Tip # 3: Begin your day by knocking out small tasks Begin your day by knocking out small tasks (check your email, put away laundry, unload the dishwasher, etc). You not only get more organized in the process (bonus.) But accomplishing small tasks right away in the morning also means you’re being productive right away.  It’s a feeling of accomplishment that you can carry with you throughout the workday. Tip #4: Schedule regular breaks Managing your mental state at work is KEY to getting organized. You need to give your brain a chance to relax    otherwise you’re going to feel mega-burned out by 3pm (and making decisions when your brain is tired is never awesome). For best results, try to give yourself a break in the morning AND one in the afternoon (about 15 minutes each). Take a walk around the office, around the block, change up your environment by hitting up a coffee shop whatever works best for you and helps you feel refreshed when you get back. Tip #5: Pick up the phone or use chat Pick up the phone or use chat  to communicate with others. Direct communication means you *actually* get answers. Sending emails back and forth is no good for anyone (and usually just results in a cluttered email inbox). Whether you’re checking in on your mom or getting information about an upcoming project at work picking up the phone or sending a chat (Slack or Google Hangouts are great chat tools) makes sure your email inbox doesnt get overloaded (at least as quickly as usual)and you’ll usually get the answer you’re looking for MUCH faster. 👠 To recap: here’s a nice little graphic of the 5 tips you can use to organize your life: Onto the next phase of how to get organized at work†¦ An organized desk. ðŸâ€" ¥ Organized Desk Who doesn’t love a nice and clean desk (and desktop), am I right?. Here are TWO tips to help you maintain a clean, organized workspace.