Often times a patient’s advance directive is not implemented for several reasons such as a physician is afraid of litigation; the patient’s wish is in contrast to the healthcare provider’s clinical judgment; the healthcare provider does not acknowledge a patient autonomy; the healthcare provider and or the medical facility is unaware that the patient has an advance directive (Watson, 2010). Some patients are waiting for their physician to bring up the subject and the physician is waiting for the patient to talk about it. As a resident, physicians were not taught how to communicate effectively with patients regarding end-of-life decisions (Deep, Green, Griffith, & Wilson, 2007). Nurses are often with a patient more than the physician, yet the conversation of end-of-life care goes undone due to not having enough time to talk with the patient, staffing shortages, and lack of communication between the health care team (Crump, Schaffer, & Schulte, 2010). Another factor that is a barrier to advance directives is the different attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding the end-of-life decision making from people from different cultures (Zager & Yancy, 2011). African Americans believe the healthcare system determines their treatment therefore few trust the system to best serve their interest (Zager & Yancy, 2011). The Asian and Hispanic cultures do not ascribe to personal autonomy regarding decision making, they rely on family members to make decisions for them (Zager & Yancy, 2011). The Navajo do not believe in putting one’s wishes in writing especially if they are considered negative (Zager & Yancy, 2011). Nurses a lot of time with patients therefore they can play an important role in advance care planning. When a patient conveys their view regarding end-of-life care the nurse should document the conversation in the patient’s chart. The note should describe the
Often times a patient’s advance directive is not implemented for several reasons such as a physician is afraid of litigation; the patient’s wish is in contrast to the healthcare provider’s clinical judgment; the healthcare provider does not acknowledge a patient autonomy; the healthcare provider and or the medical facility is unaware that the patient has an advance directive (Watson, 2010). Some patients are waiting for their physician to bring up the subject and the physician is waiting for the patient to talk about it. As a resident, physicians were not taught how to communicate effectively with patients regarding end-of-life decisions (Deep, Green, Griffith, & Wilson, 2007). Nurses are often with a patient more than the physician, yet the conversation of end-of-life care goes undone due to not having enough time to talk with the patient, staffing shortages, and lack of communication between the health care team (Crump, Schaffer, & Schulte, 2010). Another factor that is a barrier to advance directives is the different attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding the end-of-life decision making from people from different cultures (Zager & Yancy, 2011). African Americans believe the healthcare system determines their treatment therefore few trust the system to best serve their interest (Zager & Yancy, 2011). The Asian and Hispanic cultures do not ascribe to personal autonomy regarding decision making, they rely on family members to make decisions for them (Zager & Yancy, 2011). The Navajo do not believe in putting one’s wishes in writing especially if they are considered negative (Zager & Yancy, 2011). Nurses a lot of time with patients therefore they can play an important role in advance care planning. When a patient conveys their view regarding end-of-life care the nurse should document the conversation in the patient’s chart. The note should describe the