The Right to Die

The Right to Die: Interview with a Colleague

Vernette Stallworth

Grand Canyon University

NRS-437V Prof. M. Schmidt

February 7, 2016

I interviewed my colleague Lisa a former hospice nurse currently working in ICU regarding her views on euthanasia and the right to die.

1. Should people be forced to stay alive?

No I don’t think so. That’s why people need to have advanced directives and living wills. People need to have those difficult conversations with loved ones regarding which treatments they would want and if extraordinary measures should be taken or not to save their life. If people have these conversations, then euthanasia would never be an issue. The laws in this country permit a patient or their POA to withhold treatment or refuse extraordinary measures to stay alive.

2 Is Euthanasia the only way to relieve excruciating pain?

No that’s a misconception a lot of people have. When I started working in hospice I learned that virtually all pain can be eliminated or reduced significantly. Many people do not get adequate pain control because many doctors are not trained in pain management. Everyone has the right to be pain free and with modern advances in pain control it’s just a matter of finding the right doctor.

3. Do your religious beliefs affect your viewpoint on euthanasia?

I am a Christian and I believe that taking a life for any reason is comparable to murder. God has a plan for all of us and dying before your time interferes with Gods plan for us. However, I am a nurse and I have to respect the wishes of my patients and if they want to die I have to fight for them and make their wishes known. I would never choose death.

4. Do people have the right to die?

The right to...