End of Life Advance Directives

Question

Instructions

Assignment: Preparing

for the End

Advance directives resulted from the controversy

surrounding the case of Nancy Beth Cruzan, a young Missouri woman who suffered

injuries in a car accident in January 1983 and who was kept alive in an

irreversible vegetative state for almost eight years.

Cruzan’s parents went to court to order the

hospital to remove the feeding tube that was keeping their daughter alive. The

hospital appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, spurring national debate about how

and when families can allow a loved one to die. In 1990, the court recognized a

constitutional right to forgo life-sustaining treatment when it is clear the

patient would have wanted to do so. The feeding tube was removed, and Cruzan

died, surrounded by her family.

While the decisions can be difficult, preparing

for the end is an activity that has to happen before it is

needed. Advance directives are documents that a person can complete which lets

his or her wishes be known about healthcare, life saving measures, and

designated people who can make decisions if the need arises.

In this Assignment, you will examine your state’s(California)

laws regarding end-of-life advance directives (do-not-resuscitate [DNR],

durable power of attorney for healthcare, living will, etc.) and complete one

of these documents. (Note: You will not be asked to share your completed

document, only reflect upon it).

To prepare for this Assignment:

Research your state or province's laws regarding

     end-of-life advance directives such as do-not-resuscitate orders, durable

     power of attorney for health care, and living wills.

Complete at least one of the

     end-of-life advance directives listed above. See the AARP website in the

     Learning Resource for the downloadable forms. (Note: You will not

     be asked to share your completed document, only reflect upon it)

To complete this Assignment, write a 2- to 3-page

paper, which addresses the following:

What types of end-of-life advance directives does your

     jurisdiction allow?

After completing the document, assess your feelings

     about the process. Was the document simple to complete for you? Was it

     challenging? Expand on your feelings of planning ahead for end-of-life

     decisions.

What factors contributed to you selecting the specific

     document that you completed?

What legal issues did you consider when you were

     completing the end-of-life document?

What ethical factors and principles did you consider

     when completing the end-of-life document?

Should healthcare providers be required to honor

     advance directives regardless of personal belief and institutional

     settings?

Your written assignments must follow APA

guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific sources and additional

scholarly sources as appropriate.