Celerity
shape without form, shade without colour
- Jan 24, 2021
- 2,733
I'm not going to link the Reddit thread because it's a semi-exclusive subreddit for nurses and nursing students, but here are some gems that may be food for thought:
This Reddit discussion gives me hope that society may come to wider acceptance of doctor-assisted euthanasia. These nurses are people too with problems of their own, but they are generally well-adjusted members of society and, due in part to their experience as caregivers, they have pretty progressive views on the issue. I have read discussions with a similar tenor in the doctor subreddits as well. At least among clinicians, there appears to be a growing respect for patient quality of life over quantity.
That said, they restrict this pro-choice stance to the very old and sickly, but it's better than nothing.
- "After seeing what becomes of the elderly in our country, I'm strongly considering not saving for retirement, living entirely in the moment, and just committing suicide at the age of maybe 80 or 85...
Do I have a warped view of geriatric living from my experiences as a nurse? Getting old seriously just seems like complete hell despite what kind of financial plan you have in store."
- "I remember a 90+ year old man being taken in from his nursing home for suicidal behavior. In the ER, I heard the nurses talking to him cus he had a hallway bed. He said very calmly "listen. I'm not sad. I'm just old. My body hurts, it doesn't work, I sit in that home all day with nothing to do and hardly anyone helping me. I don't need psych help, just let me die. We aren't supposed to live this long. Please, if you have any humanity let me die."
I will NEVER forget that. And frankly- I agree with you. I've never admitted to anyone in the real world. But I have zero intention on allowing myself to get to that point." - "You mean you don't want to be kept alive as a human vegetable/MDRO factory, trapped in an endless loop of pain and discomfort for 10 years, only so your children, who are too big of pussies to let you die, can come visit you once a month… once every couples months… maybe next year?"
- "I had a patient that was a WW2 vet in his 90's, recently lost his wife and having severe PTSD flashbacks, seeing nazis everywhere. He attempted suicide but didn't succeed. He just got the last bit of freedom he had stripped away instead for his safety."
This Reddit discussion gives me hope that society may come to wider acceptance of doctor-assisted euthanasia. These nurses are people too with problems of their own, but they are generally well-adjusted members of society and, due in part to their experience as caregivers, they have pretty progressive views on the issue. I have read discussions with a similar tenor in the doctor subreddits as well. At least among clinicians, there appears to be a growing respect for patient quality of life over quantity.
That said, they restrict this pro-choice stance to the very old and sickly, but it's better than nothing.