Daly B J, Berry D, Fitzpatrick J J, Drew B, Montgomery K
Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
Nurs Outlook. 1997 Sep-Oct;45(5):209-14. doi: 10.1016/s0029-6554(97)90067-1.
Assisted suicide is an issue of great importance to nurses. This issue reflects our values and beliefs as a society, calls for a clear and precise response as a profession, and challenges individual nurses to think about their own moral views. The history of the debate and the compelling moral arguments on both sides attest to the complexity of the issue and also suggest that it will not soon be resolved. The current position of the profession, as expressed in the ANA Code for Nurses and a specific position statement, were reviewed. The dilemma faced by the individual nurse who perceives an obligation to adhere to the guidelines specified by his or her profession's code and yet whose conscience dictates an act in violation of this code has been discussed as an instance of conscientious objection. While this analysis has been necessarily brief, it was intended to illustrate the importance of being clear about one's personal moral views and equally clear about one's duty to fulfil the obligations stemming from the profession's public statements. It is essential that the profession continue to explore the moral issues involved in requests for assistance in dying and provide additional guidelines for practicing nurses, with sound rationale for the profession's position.
协助自杀对护士来说是一个极其重要的问题。这个问题反映了我们作为一个社会的价值观和信仰，要求作为一个职业给出清晰准确的回应，并促使个体护士思考自己的道德观点。辩论的历史以及双方令人信服的道德论据证明了这个问题的复杂性，也表明它不会很快得到解决。文中回顾了美国护士协会《护士守则》和一份具体立场声明中所表达的该职业的当前立场。文中讨论了个体护士所面临的困境，即一方面认为有义务遵守其职业守则规定的准则，而另一方面其良知却要求做出违反该守则的行为，这被作为出于良心拒服兵役的一个例子进行了探讨。虽然这种分析必然简短，但旨在说明清楚自己的个人道德观点以及同样清楚履行源自该职业公开声明的义务的责任的重要性。至关重要的是，该职业要继续探索临终协助请求中涉及的道德问题，并为执业护士提供更多指导方针，同时为该职业的立场提供合理依据。
