title: Advance directives: empowering patients at the end of life.
abstract: Advance directives were conceived as a prospective means of empowering patients to direct their own end-of-life care. Unfortunately, these directives have been inadequately incorporated into healthcare decisions due to less-than-optimal execution and implementation. The authors explore challenges to implementing advance directives and propose potential solutions.
authors.affiliation: Joan M. Nelson as an associate professor University of Colorado at Anshutz Medical Campus, College of Nursing, Aurora, Colo. Tessa C. Nelson is an educator and actor at Colorado Shakespeare Company, Denver, Colo.
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Tessa C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D064946:Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011209:Power, Psychological; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000458:organization & administration*