Active euthanasia means that someone other than the patient commits an action with the intent to end the patient's life, for example injecting a patient with a lethal dose.
Active euthanasia is distinguished from assisted suicide.
In active euthanasia someone not only makes the means of death available, but serves as the direct agent of death. For the purpose of this statement, the term active euthanasia refers to those actions that are inconsistent with the ANA Code for Nurses and are ethically unacceptable, whether the euthanasia is voluntary, involuntary or nonvoluntary. Honoring the refusal of treatments that a patient does not desire, that are disproportionately burdensome to the patient, or that will not benefit the patient can be ethically and legally permissible. There is no ethical or legal distinction between withholding or withdrawing treatments, though the latter may create more emotional distress for the nurse and others involved. Discussion The ANA Code for Nurses provides guidance for ethical conduct and explicates the values and precepts of the profession.