Keywords
Deontology
Law
Advocacy
Advance Care Planning
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction. Constant medical advances have reduced disease and mortality, increasing longevity and life expectancy. Many deaths today occur in hospitals or nursing homes.
Problem. Sometimes, treatments that provide no benefits, are excessive, inappropriate, or futile, and without the patient informed consent. At the end of life, the patient's dignity and self-determination are not always respected.
Discussion. Nurses experience significant ethical distress, often accompanied by frustration when patients aren't informed of their diagnosis and prognosis, or when they are involved in life-prolonging treatments for patients with a short life expectancy. Establishing the existence of right isn’t enough, it is necessary to create the conditions under which that right can be implemented.
Conclusions. The nurse's advocacy role/value can be interpreted, as well as promoted, within the team through the implementation of shared/advance care planning, as required by Law 219/2017 and the Codes of Ethics of all professionals. However, it will also be necessary to understand the actual organizational conditions of interaction that can favor this complex process in various context.
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