Dying with Dignity: A Dog's Perspective

Hello! My name is Macho the Yorkie. I am known under several alias names - Macho Man, Muffin Man, and my given AKC name, "Sparky Spankster Sparks." To review my credentials, I earned my honorary Doggie Doctorate as I supervised the academic work of my mother, Dr. Molly Bradshaw, who was completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Rutgers University. A dog's duty is to lay next to the human in support of studying, writing, and all academic work. I was a very faithful companion. I confess that I have both eaten her homework (literally) and peed on the articles on the floor when I needed attention. Oh well, I am a dog that will not be ignored!

In this blog, I want to share my perspective, a dog's perspective, on the idea of dying with dignity.

During my Doggie Doctorate, my mom took a course in Ethics. There were two memorable case studies: 1) a case of a doggie that was assisted to "Cross the Rainbow Bridge" and 2) a case of a human that was assisted to "Cross the Rainbow Bridge." Look at these beautiful photos taken by Duke's owner on his way over the Bridge, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/photographer-captures-dogs-last-day-on-earth/.

The Rainbow Bridge is what we K-9's refer to as the other side, or maybe "Dog Heaven." I was very moved by the class discussion that followed in our Ethics course, which really focused on the ideas of dying with dignity and quality of life. What are the ethical considerations when being assisted to cross the Rainbow Bridge?

How is this different for humans v dogs?

In my view, there is a time when we lose quality of life. For example, I am writing this on my last day on earth. Tomorrow, I am crossing the Rainbow Bridge. My quality of life is poor and declining every day. I have Cushing's Disease, congestive heart failure, a collapsing trachea, a bladder stone, and other conditions of old age such as arthritis, cataracts, and such. It's just rough as you can see, I mean, who wants to live with this lamp shade?

Anything but the lamp shade ...

I have an amazing family and healthcare team. However, my bad days out number the good. So, with this in mind, it is time to cross. I have received palliative care, I am comfortable, and living it up with all the treats, hugs, and roast beef my heart desires. I am lucky as a dog - my family and healthcare team can make this decision for me. Humans may not be so lucky. In some states, humans can be legally assisted in crossing the Rainbow Bridge. However, at the time of this writing in most states they cannot. As difficult as it is to think about, I ask you the question, "Is it ethical to withhold from humans the right to be assisted in crossing the Rainbow Bridge?"

I cannot fully answer that question in this blog, nor do I expect you to fully answer it for yourself. Instead, I just present the question for continued discussion. For healthcare students out there, how would you respond to the ethical implications involved here? Think about it in the context of these terms:

Autonomy?

Beneficence?

Duty?

Fidelity?

Justice?

Nonmaleficence?

Paternalism?

I have lived the best life a dog can live. I am happy to be supported in crossing the Bridge with dignity. I will be comfortable, my mom will hold me, I will have my favorite blanket, and I will finally relax. This experience and my doggie doctorate has instilled in me the belief and ethical hope that all beings, dog or human, die with all the dignity possible.

-- Macho

#MachoMan #RainbowBridge #livelikeyouweredying #ethics #healthcare ethics #nursingethics #casestudy

Serving during Kindergarden Pet Day, 2017

A special thank you to my Ethics faculty, Dr. Fran Ward

This post was edited by:

Dr. Molly J. Bradshaw DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, WHNP-BC

DNPmollyB.org

dnpmollyb@gmail.com

Additional Resources:

For all Nurses:

The American Nurses Association provides resources on ethical conduct for all nurses. Please visit their website and explore further: https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing- excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/

For Nurse Practitioner Students:

Ethical terms are often testing on NP certification exams. Fitzgerald Health Associates has some resources on line to prepare students for this professional issue component of the test. Please visit their website and explore further: https://www.fhea.com/content.aspx?p=certificationcols/professional_issues.htm

For DNP Students:

Ethical considerations are a major component of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project and other research-based endeavors. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) process will touch upon these concepts and most universities require training to ensure compliance with ethical behavior. As an overview, review this short perspective from the National Institute of Health: https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/guiding-principles-ethical-research Be sure to examine the requirements for both your DNP Project and IRB(s) involved.

__________________________________________________________________________________