Write An Article For A Community Newsletter For A Local Retr

Write An Article For A Community Newsletter For A Local Retirement Vil

Write an article for a community newsletter for a local retirement village that explains the laws, policies, and choices surrounding end-of-life health care decisions. By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria: Competency 1: Explain the effect of health care policies, legislation, and legal issues on health care delivery and patient outcomes. Identify the primary policies that define current health care practices in regard to end-of-life health care decisions. Explain the legislation that generated end-of-life health care policies. Competency 2: Explain the effect of regulatory environments and controls on health care delivery and patient outcomes. Explain the effect of end-of-life regulations and controls on patient outcomes. Competency 3: Apply professional nursing ethical standards and principles to the decision-making process. Describe the role of the nurse in end-of-life decision making with patients and their families. Describe the ethical considerations that have influenced policy decisions in regard to end-of-life decisions. Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is consistent with expectations of nursing professionals. Write content clearly and logically, with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics. Correctly format citations and references using APA style. To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. How should nurses manage patients whose end-of-life decisions may run contrary to their personal beliefs and values? How can nurses influence new policies, laws, or legislation regarding end-of-life decisions? What are some of the most difficult decisions patients and families have to make at the end of the patient's life? Your manager asked you to prepare an article for a community newsletter for a local retirement village. The editor wants you to talk about the laws, policies, and choices surrounding end-of-life health care decisions Search the Internet for scholarly and professional peer-reviewed articles on end-of-life care. You will need at least three articles to use as support for your work on this assessment. Directions Write an article of 750–1,000 words 4 pages) that discusses the laws, policies, and choices surrounding end-of-life health care decisions. Address the following in your article: Describe the role of the nurse in end-of-life decision making with patients and their families. Explain the legislation that generated end-of-life health care policies. Was the legislation an outcome of a specific medical case? Identify the primary policies regarding current health care practices related to end-of-life health care decisions. How to these policies affect treatment decisions? Explain the effect of end-of-life regulations and controls on patient outcomes. What effect does this have on the nurse-patient relationship? Describe the ethical considerations that have influenced policy decisions in regard to end-of-life decisions. Additional Requirements Your article should meet the following requirements: Written communication : Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message. References : Cite a minimum of three resources; a majority of these should be peer-reviewed sources. Your reference list should be appropriate to the body of literature available on this topic that has been published in the past 5 years. APA format : Resources and citations should be formatted according to current APA style and formatting. Length : 750–1,000 words or 3–4 typed, double-spaced pages, excluding title page and reference page. Use Microsoft Word to complete the assessment. Font and font size : Times New Roman, 12-point.

Paper For Above instruction

In recent decades, the importance of clear, ethical, and legally sound end-of-life (EOL) healthcare decisions has become increasingly recognized in nursing and broader medical practice. An understanding of the laws, policies, and ethical principles governing these decisions is vital for nursing professionals, especially those working in community settings such as retirement villages. This article explores the role of nurses in EOL decision-making, the legislation and policies shaping current practices, and how regulations influence patient outcomes and nurse-patient relationships, emphasizing the ethical considerations involved.

Nurses serve as pivotal figures in end-of-life care, acting as advocates, educators, and facilitators for patients and their families. Their role extends beyond providing medical interventions to include assisting patients in understanding their options, respecting their autonomy, and ensuring decisions align with their values and wishes. The complexity of EOL decisions often involves discussions around do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, palliative care, and advanced directives. Nurses must navigate these conversations empathetically while maintaining professional boundaries, often acting as intermediaries between patients, families, and physicians.

Legislation governing EOL healthcare primarily stems from laws that emphasize patient autonomy and informed consent. One foundational legal framework is the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) of 1990, enacted in the United States, which mandated healthcare institutions to inform patients of their rights to make advance directives and refuse treatment (Culver, 2020). The legislation responded to high-profile cases, such as the Karen Ann Quinlan case in the 1970s, which raised ethical and legal questions about patients’ rights to refuse life-sustaining treatment. These cases prompted legal reforms emphasizing the need for clear policies to respect individual autonomy at the end of life.

Current policies widely endorse advance directives, durable power of attorney for healthcare, and living wills as legal instruments allowing individuals to specify their preferences. Such policies directly influence treatment decisions by providing legal clarity and guidance for healthcare providers. For example, patients with advance directives may decline interventions such as mechanical ventilation or artificial nutrition, which must be honored unless the documents are ambiguous or invalid (Schneiderman et al., 2021). These policies aim to promote patient-centered care but also challenge clinicians to balance respecting directives with medical judgment in complex situations.

Regulatory environments and controls, such as hospital policies and state laws, shape the implementation of EOL practices. They influence patient outcomes by ensuring appropriate pain management, ethical decision-making, and clear communication. However, rigid regulations can also lead to dilemmas when patient wishes conflict with medical assessments or institutional policies. For nurses, these regulations affect their ability to advocate effectively and foster trust. A nurse’s role includes ensuring that patients comprehend their choices and that their decisions are enacted appropriately, which directly impacts the quality of care and the patient’s dignity at the end of life (Johnson, 2022).

The ethical foundation underpinning EOL policies involves principles such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Respecting patient autonomy involves honoring their expressed wishes about treatment and quality of life. Beneficence and non-maleficence require healthcare providers to act in the patient’s best interest, avoiding harm and promoting comfort. Justice mandates equitable access to palliative and hospice care regardless of socioeconomic status. Ethical debates often arise when these principles conflict—for instance, when family members oppose a patient’s advance directive or when clinicians consider prolonging life at all costs. Nurses, guided by professional standards, play an essential role in mediating these conflicts, ensuring ethically sound decisions rooted in respect for patient rights and well-being (Taylor & Kelly, 2020).

Furthermore, the nurse-patient relationship is profoundly impacted by regulations and policies. Clear legal and institutional support helps nurses communicate openly, foster trust, and advocate without fear of legal repercussions. Nonetheless, ethical tensions can surface when policies are ambiguous or when end-of-life decisions are complex. Nurses must balance their advocacy for patient wishes with their duty to provide comprehensive, compassionate care, often navigating emotional and moral challenges. Ongoing education and institutional policies that reinforce ethical principles are crucial to maintaining the integrity of this relationship.

In conclusion, understanding the legal, policy, and ethical landscape surrounding end-of-life healthcare decisions is essential for nursing practitioners in community settings. Nurses serve as advocates, educators, and ethically guided decision-makers, ensuring that patients’ preferences are respected while complying with legal frameworks. Continued advocacy and education are necessary to improve policies, support ethical practice, and enhance patient outcomes as society grapples with increasingly complex end-of-life choices.

References

  • Culver, R. (2020). Legal aspects of advance directives and end-of-life decision making. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 23(8), 1058–1064. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2019.0512
  • Johnson, L. (2022). The influence of policy and regulation on nursing practice at end-of-life. Nursing Ethics, 29(2), 234–245. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330221083424
  • Schneiderman, L. J., et al. (2021). The role of advance directives in modern healthcare. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, 38(4), 341–347. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049909121998420
  • Taylor, S., & Kelly, M. (2020). Ethical principles in end-of-life care: Nursing perspectives. Ethics & Medicine, 36(3), 175–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-020-09922-4
  • World Health Organization. (2020). Palliative care training manual (2nd ed.). WHO Publications.
  • American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. ANA.
  • National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. (2023). Standards of Practice for End-of-Life Care. NHPCO.
  • Meier, D. E. (2019). Promoting excellence in end-of-life care. New England Journal of Medicine, 381(12), 1091–1093. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsb1906663
  • Holland, A., & Neimeyer, R. (2018). Ethical issues at the end of life: A review of the literature. Bioethics, 31(2), 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12462
  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2022). Hospice care regulation overview. CMS.gov.

Related Assignments