title: The challenge of autonomy. Respecting the patient's wishes.
abstract: Issues surrounding patient autonomy frequently occur in the critical care setting. To deal effectively with the complex issues of autonomy, the critical care nurse needs to identify the threats to autonomy and respond as a patient advocate. The authors present a patient case that demonstrates the autonomy issues that confront many critical care patients.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Singleton
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dever
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D016224:Living Wills; D008297:Male; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D028761:Withholding Treatment