Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Advertisement
American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
1049909108320883v1
25/5/347    most recent
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bergman-Evans, B.
Right arrow Articles by Myers, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bergman-Evans, B.
Right arrow Articles by Myers, S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

Uncovering Beliefs and Barriers: Staff Attitudes Related to Advance Directives

Brenda Bergman-Evans, PhD, APRN-NP, APRN-CNS

Alegent Health Home Care and Community Based Programs, Omaha, Nebraska, bbergman{at}alegent.org

Leslie Kuhnel, MPA

Alegent Health Home Care and Community Based Programs, Omaha, Nebraska

Denise McNitt, MSN

Alegent Health Home Care and Community Based Programs, Omaha, Nebraska

Suzanne Myers, MSW

Alegent Health Home Care and Community Based Programs, Omaha, Nebraska

Although the 1990 Patient Self-determination Act was enacted to insure that patients' wishes regarding advance directives were known and respected, it has had little impact in quality or aggressiveness of care for patients nearing death. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore staff attitudes related to Advance Directives. A short survey was distributed to 650 hospital, home care, hospice, assisted living, and long term professional and staff members. Analysis was completed on 413 surveys (return rate 63.3%). Findings suggest that although staff members believe that Advance Directives are an important tool, they have found both logistical and process challenges to following them. The results provide needed information for improving processes for completion and utilization of Advance Directives.

Key Words: advance directives • end-of-life care • staff attitudes • barriers • beliefs

This version was published on October 1, 2008

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 25, No. 5, 347-353 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1049909108320883
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?




Advertisement