Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. Health, Medicine, Nursing Essay

Comparison between Florida's and Oregon death with dignity act
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Oregon was the first state to enact death with dignity in the year 1997where patients have a right to die in their time manner and choice. Twenty years later, many states follow suit, acknowledging the need for terminally ill patients whose death is investable to die with dignity. They include California, Washington dc, Montana, Vermont, Colorado, Maine, New Jersey, and Hawaii. January of this year, Florida decided to take the same route with is senate coming up with the death with the dignity act of 2020, which is quite similar to the one of Oregon. If the law passes, it will see the high population of cancer patients and other terminally ill individuals allowed using prescribed medication to end their lives humanely. The essay seeks to compare Oregon and Florida identifying the similarities and differences and suggesting why we should not follow Oregon's death with dignity act as it is.
There are several similarities between the two acts, which leads us to believe that Florida's following Oregon's footsteps. The person allowed should be eighteen, a resident of Florida, diagnosed with a terminal disease and capable of communicating and making the decision. The dying rights in the two acts are similar, although the physician seems to have greater control of the dying process that we seem to believe (Hillyard et al. 2002.p7). The laws speak about respect for patients' autonomy and consequences for those who unlawfully forge the documents or coerce the patient. The similarities continue, as both oral and written evidence should be present. A witness should be available, and the patient decides if to inform the family or not. It means that both the state's share slippery slopes like doctors who make physician assistance dying a business (Dugdale 2019, p.749). Florida should have put into consideration the cons and worked to improve the document.
We also observed some differences in the two documents that make them unique to each other. Florida's document is somehow expansive when it comes to what entails a terminal condition. Oregon talks about illness whose death is less than six months while Florida includes injury. It means that individuals who might have lived for many years with such damages have an option opting to die. The main differences between the two are significant, where Oregon allow...