Take some time to look inside their hearts: hospice social workers contemplate physician assisted suicide.
This article presents a subset of data from a larger study that explored the impact of the legal choice of physician assisted suicide (PAS) on hospice providers. Eight social workers shared their personal and professional voices about a very controversial and difficult issue. Oregon is the only place in the country where PAS is legal and these social workers practice in an environment where the choice of PAS has been an option for two years. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) the dilemmas that arise from the hospice philosophy; (2) the conflicts that emerge between the choice of PAS and social works' cardinal values and practice principles; and (3) the struggles with personal values and PAS.
Miller
Pamela J
PJ
Graduate School of Social Work, Portland State University, OR 97207, USA.
Mesler
Mark A
MA
Eggman
Susan T
ST
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004995:Ethics, Professional; D005260:Female; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009922:Oregon; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D024382:Professional Role; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D012297:Right to Die / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012945:Social Values; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric / Q000941:ethics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017236:Suicide, Assisted / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires