A nurse who sits on the hospital's ethics committee is reviewing a complex case that has many of the hallmarks of assisted suicide. Which of the following would be an example of assisted suicide?
A) Administering a lethal dose of medication to a patient whose death is imminent
B) Administering a morphine infusion without assessing for respiratory depression
C) Granting a patient's request not to initiate enteral feeding when the patient is unable to eat
D) Neglecting to resuscitate a patient with a "do not resuscitate" order
Ans: A
Feedback:
Assisted suicide refers to providing another person the means to end his or her own life. This is not to be confused with the ethically and legally supported practices of withholding or withdrawing medical treatment in accordance with the wishes of the terminally ill individual. The other listed options do not fit this accepted definition of assisted suicide.
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