Essential End-of-Life Documents
- Define and discuss three common End-of-life documents that you as nurse must be familiar with to be able to educate older adults.
Three Essential End-of-Life Documents
- Advance Directive
- Definition: A legal document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding medical care if they become incapacitated and cannot make decisions themselves. It includes two components:
- Living Will: Specifies the medical treatments a person does or does not want, such as life support, resuscitation, or artificial nutrition and hydration.
- Healthcare Proxy (Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare): Designates someone to make healthcare decisions on the patient’s behalf.
- Nurse’s Role: Nurses educate older adults about the importance of documenting their healthcare preferences and help them understand the options available. This ensures that their wishes are respected in critical situations.
- Definition: A legal document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding medical care if they become incapacitated and cannot make decisions themselves. It includes two components:
- Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Order
- Definition: A medical order signed by a physician indicating that no resuscitation (e.g., CPR or advanced cardiac life support) should be performed if the patient’s heart stops or they stop breathing.
- Nurse’s Role: Nurses ensure patients and families understand the implications of a DNR order, facilitate discussions with the healthcare team, and advocate for the patient’s wishes to be documented and honored…
Three Essential End-of-Life Documents
- Advance Directive
- Definition: A legal document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding medical care if they become incapacitated and cannot make decisions themselves. It includes two components:
- Living Will: Specifies the medical treatments a person does or does not want, such as life support, resuscitation, or artificial nutrition and hydration.
- Healthcare Proxy (Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare): Designates someone to make healthcare decisions on the patient’s behalf.
- Nurse’s Role: Nurses educate older adults about the importance of documenting their healthcare preferences and help them understand the options available. This ensures that their wishes are respected in critical situations.
- Definition: A legal document that outlines a person’s wishes regarding medical care if they become incapacitated and cannot make decisions themselves. It includes two components:
- Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Order
- Definition: A medical order signed by a physician indicating that no resuscitation (e.g., CPR or advanced cardiac life support) should be performed if the patient’s heart stops or they stop breathing.
- Nurse’s Role: Nurses ensure patients and families understand the implications of a DNR order, facilitate discussions with the healthcare team, and advocate for the patient’s wishes to be documented and honored…
