NACN-USA Urges AMA not to change their policy of opposition to assisted suicide

Carolyn Laabs, PhD, MA, FNP-BC, RN
Chair, Ethics & Spirituality Committee

Carolyn Laabs, PhD, MA, FNP-BC, RN
Chair, Ethics & Spirituality Committee

In June 2016, at the annual meeting, the 540 members of the American Medical Association (AMA) house of delegates, representing all facets of the house of medicine, voted to ask the board of trustees to study the issue of physician assisted suicide. The board has referred the item to the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs, which will conduct an in-depth literature review, and will ultimately report back to the house of delegates. Currently the AMA Code of Medical Ethics opposes physician assisted suicide. At present, there is no item of business pending before the AMA house of delegates which would call for a change in the AMA policy. The deadline to provide comment to the AMA CEJA is August 14, 2017. The AMA meeting will be held on August 16-19. Write to the Secretary Elliot Crigger at elliott.crigger@ama-assn.org

NACN-USA Letter #2 to the AMA CEJA

PAS Documents Assembled by the Ethics & Spirituality Committee