To the editor:

I have worked as a Registered Nurse for 28 years and am a proud member of the New York State Nurses Association. NYSNA is New York’s largest nursing union, representing most of the area hospitals including Adirondack Health, CVPH, Alice Hyde, and Canton Potsdam.

Last fall, the New York Nurses Association passed a resolution in support of Medical Aid in Dying.

Like many nurses, I have cared for patients who are dying and have supported their families. Sadly, I have witnessed pain and suffering in dying. Hospice services provide wonderful compassionate care for many, and we need to continue to improve hospice and palliative care.

But we must also pass the Medical Aid in Dying Act. This legislation allows for a terminally ill, mentally competent adult with six months or less to live, confirmed by two doctors, the option to get a prescription to end their life. Medical aid in dying provides patient autonomy, peace of mind, and relief from suffering.

Death and dying do not have to be morbid or depressing. They are part of life. We need more honest conversations with our health care providers and our families. Medical aid in dying has been legal in Oregon for more than 25 years, and is now legal in 10 states and Washington, D.C. In all that time, there has never been any evidence of coercion or abuse.

We choose how we live, and we should have some ability to choose how we die.

Sincerely,

Denise Griffin

Vermontville