Assisted suicide is a method where a doctor prescribes a fatal dose of medication for a patient to administer to themselves. In the United States there are four states where assisted suicide is legal, these states are New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Since, more states are discussing this topic openly and bringing it into the public eye it seems that people’s opinions about assisted suicide are rapidly shifting towards public approval. It appears that society as a whole is beginning to accept this method since they are now able to understand why some people choose this alternative method.
As for my opinion regarding the legalization of assisted suicide in New York I believe it must only …show more content…
I believe an argument can be made for the legalization of assisted suicide since the Nursing Code of Ethics states, “patients have the moral and legal right to determine what will be done with their own person.” (Section 1.4, 2010) Therefore I believe it is their right of autonomy to decide if this procedure is appropriate for them. On the other hand I feel banning assisted suicide could do more harm then good because a person may find another way to perform the suicide and may unintentionally jeopardize the lives of others while trying to do it. By legalizing this procedure, it offers the healthcare provider a chance to counsel the patient prior and during this counseling a provider may be able to offer other options that aren’t so