Healthcare and personal support are some of the noble courses in the professional world. The premise is mainly motivated by the fact that healthcare and personal support providers often save, change, and improve the quality of life of the people that need their help. With this knowledge, therefore, it is critical to note that these professionals are particularly helpful in palliative care. However, a challenge often arises whenever they are dealing with terminally ill patients. Therefore, it is with the knowledge that the issue of euthanasia and medical assistance in dying comes in. While some professionals and the general public cite points to oppose this aspect of healthcare and personal support, one cannot ignore the fact that it also has a fair deal of positive points. Therefore, this essay explores various articles authored by scholars and authorities in healthcare and personal support to illustrate the importance of euthanasia and its popularity among healthcare scholars and professionals, as well as to clarify how to overcome the challenges that come along with this challenging practice.
Although euthanasia and medical assistance in dying have drawn a great deal of controversy, it is vital to acknowledge their relevance in contemporary society. With this knowledge, it is equally critical to note that healthcare professionals and personal support professionals suggest euthanasia to patients with the patient’s best interests in mind. In as much as this essay recognizes the importance of human life, it equally recognizes the importance of living a decent life. Therefore, whenever the issue of euthanasia comes up, it is critical to consider the dignity of the patient whose last resolve is to terminate their life. This is because most of the patients that opt for it are normally terminally ill.
Additionally, euthanasia is normally conducted in a very humane and dignified manner. As Ho et al. (2021) note, professionals in palliative care make several considerations before performing euthanasia. From a sample population of forty-eight professionals in palliative care, some of the considerations that they make before performing MAiD include advising the patients thoroughly and ensuring that they come up with the decision when they are adequately informed, exhaustively discussing the procedure, and ensuring that the conversion is open-ended (Ho et al., 2021). With this knowledge, therefore, it is justifiable to conclude that the procedure is not inhumane and that people should consider it as it enhances the dignity of a terminally ill patient.
In addition to this, Frolic & Oliphant (2022) offer insightful information on the topic and offer equally insightful data. According to the two scholars, euthanasia accounts for 3.3% of deaths in Canada annually. The scholars also point out the rising demand for MAiD in Canada. Therefore, this illustrates that it is possible to practice it by adhering to societal guidelines and promoting human dignity and respect.
Moreover, the fact that the practice is popular among trainees who bring in a new and contemporary perspective to the practice is a point worth noting. Euthanasia and medical assistance in dying are popular among healthcare students in Canada, with a considerable majority of the students supporting them. According to a research study by McCarthy & Seal (2019), Canadian healthcare students greatly support assistance in dying. The two scholars draw this conclusion after analyzing data collected from a sample population of one hundred and twenty-four students training at Memorial University. A detailed survey of the sample population revealed that 90% of the trainees supported euthanasia, with 60% of them noting that they would confidently perform it ((McCarthy & Seal, 2019). The majority of the trainees opposing it cited religious reasons. With this knowledge, it is vital to note various critical issues that come up from the survey. Firstly, the majority of the sample population, representing most Canadian healthcare trainees support the practice. In this regard, it is equally vital to note that the trainees bring in a new and more contemporary perspective regarding the subject matter. Therefore, it is worth considering their opinion and borrowing their logic.
Furthermore, the practice has been legally acceptable in the Canadian context since 2016 (McCarthy & Seal, 2019). In their study, Khoshnood et al. (2018) explore some of the challenges facing healthcare providers face as far as euthanasia and medical assistance in dying are concerned. The scholars establish that although euthanasia is done with the patient’s dignity and best interest in mind, medical practitioners often find it challenging because, at the bottom line, a human’s life is involved. Furthermore, their research also reveals that out of a sample population of sixteen medics, some of the most common challenges included a strained relationship with objecting colleagues, inadequate compensation, and increased workload (Khoshnood et al., 2018). Moreover, the practice is strictly guided and catered for by the Canada Health Act, and therefore, the general public should have faith in it as it was fully studied and examined before its enactment (Khoshnood et al., 2018).
References
Frolic, A., & Oliphant, A. (2022). Introducing Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada: Lessons on Pragmatic Ethics and the Implementation of a Morally Contested Practice. HEC Forum, 34(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-022-09495-7
Ho, A., Norman, J. S., Joolaee, S., Serota, K., Twells, L., & William, L. (2021). How does Medical Assistance in Dying affect end-of-life care planning discussions? Experiences of Canadian multidisciplinary palliative care providers. Palliative Care and Social Practice, 15(1-14), 263235242110459. https://doi.org/10.1177/26323524211045996
Khoshnood, N., Hopwood, M.-C., Lokuge, B., Kurahashi, A., Tobin, A., Isenberg, S., & Husain, A. (2018). Exploring Canadian Physicians’ Experiences Providing Medical Assistance in Dying: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 56(2), 222-229.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2018.05.006
McCarthy, R. N., & Seal, M. (2019). Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): the opinions of medical trainees in Newfoundland and Labrador. A cross-sectional study. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 10(4), e13–e20. https://doi.org/10.36834/cmej.52984
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