First, euthanasia is legal in many forms and patients have a right to ask about it. But respect for our patients must begin with respect for ourselves. The second reason nurses need to examine the ethics of assisted suicide is to understand that in the nursing profession, disagreement and uncertainty exist. For guidance, nurses can turn to arguments by respected philosophers and ethicists. The nursing profession is grounded in values of caring nonmaleficence.
Nurses have a social contract to respect and protect human life.
Nurses also help the patient and his loved ones find meaning in the dying process. Nurses must balance their commitment to caring and beneficence with respect for the autonomy and values of patients and their loved ones. The option of assisted suicide may give a patient control over an unacceptable death, which enables her to focus on enjoying her remaining life. In addition to planning for death, nurses' desire to alleviate pain creates moral tension. Research indicates that the desire to end unbearable and protracted pain often drives the request for euthanasia or assisted suicide.