Is it ethical for physicians to recommend passive euthanasia for a patient who is mentally incompetent to make his own decisions? A developmentally disabled patient has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The patient has no family, and is under public guardianship. The public guardian will base his decision on the recommendation of the facility administrator, who will base his decision on that of the medical director. The choices were to continue palliative care until death ensues, or to stop the tube feedings and allow the patient to die. The medical director's recommendation was to stop the feedings. This real life scenario occurred at the facility in which I work, very recently. In order to decide this issue, it is important to analyze and discuss the pros and cons of the euthanasia debate. This issue will continue to surface for years to come. The federal government must enact a law approving or banning euthanasia. Currently, guidelines vary from state to !
             state. The principles of management that would help a manager in making this type of decision are ethics, authority and responsibility.
             The term euthanasia is derived from the Greek words 'eu' and 'thantos', which when translated mean easy death. Today, euthanasia is referred to as assisted suicide or mercy killing. Euthanasia raises many religious, medical, legal and ethical issues. The question of euthanasia being right or wrong is a question that many people would prefer to avoid. High profile cases, such as those involving Dr. Kevorkian, have demanded debate and are forcing people to choose sides. People that are pro euthanasia site the unbearable suffering by the patient and their family as the primary reason that all types of euthanasia should be legalized. There are only two true forms of euthanasia. Active euthanasia involves giving the patient drugs of some type to speed the dying process. This type of euthanasi...