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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Objective: To identify nurses perceptions of Advance Directives (AD) and to analyse the in uence
of experience with AD on their perception.
Material and methods: Quantitative, descriptive, correlational study conducted in a hospital in
central Portugal with a sample of 139 nurses, aged 20-60 and in which 78.4% are women and 74%
are under 40 years of age. A questionnaire was applied on nurses’ perceptions of AD, their
socio-demographic characteristics, and professional experiences with AD.
Results: Nurses with 26-30 years of experience have a more critical position with regards to AD
(P = .03). Approximately 95% of nurses have no experience of situations where they were given
the opportunity for the patient to decide using the AD, nor did they experience situations
where the patient has been informed of this right. Most nurses (72.7%) expressed their readiness
to re ect with the patient to preparing the AD document and 45.3% would only do so, if the
patient or the family requested it.
Conclusion: Nurses have little experience with AD. They are available to respect the patient’s
will but did not feel able to address the issue on their own initiative. Most agree that the AD can
“fail” if the patient does not reevaluate it periodically. Reflection and debate on the ethical
issues surrounding AD should be promoted: promoting patient autonomy, care in vulnerable
situations, team decisions and conscientious objection.
Description
Keywords
Advance directive Living wills Terminal care Ethics nursing
Citation
Silva, E., Neves, M., & Silva, D. (2014). Nurses’ perceptions of advance directives. Aten Primaria. 46(Espec Cong 1):145-149.
Publisher
Elsevier Doyma