title: Advance directives: role of nurse practitioners.
abstract: Advance directives are documents that guide end of life decisions. Although advance directives are a fairly recent phenomenon in health care, they are grounded in both legal and ethical principles. Studies show few people have completed advance directives. Persons do not tend to complete advance directives for various reasons. Lack of knowledge has been identified, as well as belief that physicians should initiate the discussion and that the topic is appropriate only for the elderly or those in poor health. Many nurse practitioners practice in primary care settings, which are ideal for discussions about advance directives. Nurse practitioners possess the opportunities and skills to discuss advance directives with their patients.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schlenk
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004995:Ethics, Professional; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D010353:Patient Education as Topic