Euthanasia : : Experiences and Insights of Belgian Doctors and Nurses.

• Author: Devos, Timothy.
• Sonstige: Devos, Timothy
• Place / Publishing House: Cham : : Springer International Publishing AG,, 2021.; ©2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (124 pages)

This open access book has been written by ten Belgian health care professionals, nurses, university professors and doctors specializing in palliative care and ethicists who, together, raise questions concerning the practice of euthanasia. They share their experiences and reflections born out of their confrontation with requests for euthanasia and end-of-life support in a country where euthanasia has been decriminalized since 2002 and is now becoming a trivial topic. Far from evoking any militancy, these stories of life and death present the other side of a reality needs to be evaluated more rigorously. Featuring multidisciplinary perspectives, this though-provoking and original book is intended not only for caregivers but also for anyone who questions the meaning of death and suffering, as well as the impact of a law passed in 2002. Presenting real-world cases and experiences, it highlights the complexity of situations and the consequences of the euthanasia law. This book appeals to palliative care providers, hematologists, oncologists, psychiatrists, nurses and health professionals as well as researchers, academics, policy-makers, and social scientists working in health care. It is also a unique resource for those in countries where the decriminalization of euthanasia is being considered. Sometimes shocking, it focuses on facts and lived experiences to challenge readers and offer insights into euthanasia in Belgium.

Table of Contents

Intro -- Foreword 1 -- Foreword 2 -- The Failure to Present "the Full Story" -- Range of Disciplines and Experiential Knowledge -- Issues Raised by Legalized Euthanasia -- Expansion and Normalization Through Giving Priority to Autonomy -- Suicide and Social Contagion -- Euthanasia is Incompatible with Palliative Care -- Loving Accompaniment Until Natural Death -- The "Mystery of Death" -- Conclusion -- Contents -- About the Authors -- About the Editor -- 1: The Slippery Slope Syndrome -- 1.1 The Decriminalization of Euthanasia -- 1.2 Ignorance About Palliative Care -- 1.3 The Trivialization of Euthanasia -- 1.4 A Perverted Sense of Duty -- 1.5 Suffering and Silence -- 1.6 The Economic Context -- 1.7 Euthanasia in the Psychiatric Context -- 1.8 After Euthanasia -- 1.9 The Euthanasia of Minors -- 1.10 The Euthanasia of Remorse -- References -- 2: The Doctor Turned into an Instrument -- 2.1 The Therapeutic Alliance -- 3: When Conscience Wavers. Some Reflections on the Normalization of Euthanasia in Belgium -- 3.1 The Embarrassment of the Law -- 3.2 Euthanasia: Medical Act or Transgression? -- 3.3 Euthanasia as Transgression -- 3.4 Between Law and Conscience: Euthanasia and Moral Integrity -- 3.5 Conclusion -- References -- 4: Euthanasia for Unbearable Psychological Suffering -- 4.1 What Does the Law Say? -- 4.2 A Lack of Prospect of Improvement of the Medical Situation -- 4.3 Incurable Disorder -- 4.4 Persistent and Unbearable Psychological Suffering -- 4.5 What Is Empathy? -- 4.6 Decision-Making Capacity -- 4.7 Conclusion -- 4.8 The Long and the Short of Mrs. Jeanine's Story -- References -- 5: People Facing the Question of Euthanasia: Patients, Family and Friends, Healthcare Workers -- 5.1 Personal Suffering -- 5.2 Physical Suffering -- 5.3 Psychological Suffering -- 5.4 Emotional and Relational Suffering.

5.5 Existential and Spiritual Suffering -- 5.6 How Can One Respond to a Request for Euthanasia? -- 5.7 The Reaction of Family and Friends to a Request for Euthanasia -- 5.8 How Can the Medical Staff Act or React to a Request for Euthanasia? -- References -- 6: Surrendering to or Inducing Death: Artificial Feeding as Paradigm -- 6.1 Framework of this Reflective Study -- 6.1.1 Case #1-Madame B. 73 Years Old -- 6.1.2 Case #2-Madame F. 90 Years Old -- 6.1.3 Case #3-Madame J. 68 Years Old -- 6.2 Why Use Feeding Tubes? What Criteria Prevailed? How Efficient Are they? How Did we Come to Adopt these Protocols? -- 6.3 First Approach of the Ethical Question -- 6.4 Distinguishing between Ordinary and Extraordinary -- 6.5 Three Levels of Ethical Judgment -- 6.6 Madame B. or the "Disproportioned Deemed Ordinary" -- 6.7 Madame F. or the "Proportionate Turned Doubtful (Optional) and Deemed Extraordinary" -- 6.8 Conclusion -- References -- 7: The Meaning of Suffering or the Meaning of Life Despite Suffering -- 7.1 Viktor Frankl: The Question of Meaning at the Heart of Medicine -- 7.2 How Can We Apply Viktor Frankl's Theories to Helping Patients? -- 7.2.1 First Pathway: Accomplishment Through Love -- 7.2.2 Second Pathway: Accomplishment Through a Meaningful Life -- 7.2.3 Third Pathway: Knowing How to Deal with Suffering -- 7.3 What Happens in a Country Where Euthanasia Has Been Decriminalised? -- References -- 8: Resisting -- 8.1 The Request for Euthanasia -- 8.2 Family Pressure -- 8.3 Explaining Euthanasia -- 8.4 The Trap of 'Integrated' Palliative Care -- 8.5 Sedation: Misunderstandings and Confusion -- 8.6 Palliative Care: A Hospital Paradigm -- 8.7 Contradiction and Ambiguity -- Reference -- 9: Behind the Scenes of Euthanasia -- 9.1 Distress of the Healthcare Worker -- 9.2 Euthanasia: A 'De-Humanising' Act.

9.3 When Conscience Competes Against Law and Bureaucracy -- 9.4 Euthanasia, a Stage in Accepting One's Illness -- 9.5 Euthanasia as a Wake-Up Call from Indifference -- 9.6 Sedation: Palliative Practise or Hypocrisy? -- 9.7 When Trust Meets Professional Integrity -- Correction to: When Conscience Wavers. Some Reflections on the Normalization of Euthanasia in Belgium -- Correction to: T. Devos (ed.), Euthanasia: Searching for the Full Story, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56795-8 -- Postface -- Brief List of Health-Care Terms for the Non-specialist.