Chapter 28: End of life care
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Assisted suicide and euthanasia
Euthanasia is the intentional killing, by act or omission, of a person whose life is thought not to be worth living. Assisted suicide is similar in intentionality but differs in that it involves one person (whether a healthcare professional or not) providing the means for another to end his or her own life, whilst not participating in the act itself (Wyatt [63]). At present, both are illegal in the UK, despite current campaigns to change the law, and it is, therefore, unlawful for any registered nurse to participate in this process.
It must be remembered, however, that those who approach healthcare professionals with a request for assisted suicide or euthanasia will be doing so from a position of significant vulnerability and deserve compassion and respect. Commonly, requests for assisted suicide or euthanasia stem from a fear of pain, indignity and dependence (Wyatt [63]) and it is imperative to ensure that patients are offered adequate opportunities to express these fears, and the specialist physical, psychosocial and spiritual support necessary to minimize their distress.
