Abstract
The paper explains that advance directives refer to formal documents or verbal statements which determine how a patient's healthcare decisions will be made in case the patient loses the ability to direct the decisions himself. The paper looks at the laws regarding advance directives in a written format, the problems posed by verbal DNR orders and the battery charges that could be faced by nurses or physicians who try to resuscitate a patient in a situation where an explicit DNR order is present. The paper also discusses advance directives' considerable moral importance and benefits as well as their limitations and risks. The paper concludes with the assertion that doctors must discuss the benefits of advance directives with their patients and patients must also become more comfortable with the reality of death and the need for advance care planning.

From the Paper
"Through a living will a patient can himself direct what kind of treatment will be acceptable to him in case he loses his ability to make decisions. Living wills come into operation only when patients lose the ability to communicate to others or when the situations specified in the LW document take place. Such situations specified in the living will may include persistent vegetative state, a terminal illness or inability to take independent decisions. Living wills may also specify what kind of treatments should be allowed or not allowed or may simply specify general goals. The specified treatments may include nutrition, artificial ventilation, artificial hydration and CPR. Through a health care power of attorney, patients can designate a proxy or a person who can take decisions on their behalf when they become incapacitated. This kind of advance directives provides more flexibility than living wills since it is not possible to anticipate all kinds of medical conditions and treatment alternatives that a person may undergo or require in the future. Do-not-resuscitate -- DNR advance directives are a sort of advance directives which explicitly specifies the withholding of techniques like defibrillation, artificially supplied respiratory support, specifically closed-chest cardiac message and CPR. ("Advance Medical Directives.", n. d.); (Feldman; Christensen, 2007)"

Tags:Patient, Bill, of, Rights, DNR, order, treatment, battery

Abstract
This paper explains the concept of an advanced directive - where adults make decisions concerning their final days in advance. The purposes of having an advance directive are also explained in the paper. The author justifies the importance of following an advance directive not only because it is a legal and binding agreement, but also because it can spare anguished family members from making difficult decisions. However, many ethical issues ensue when family members disagree with the directives and the paper discusses scenarios where opposition to an advance directive might have merit.

Outline:
Introduction
Purpose of an Advance Directive
Why It Is Important To Follow an Advance Directive
Opposing Positions May Have Merit
Gray Areas in Following An Advance Directive
Arguments for Following an Advance Directive
Research Concerning Whether to Follow or Not
Conclusion
References

From the Paper
"Adults have the right and obligation to make decisions concerning their final days in advance. Whether or not to decline life support if death is imminent, or if a coma state becomes permanent is usually an ethical opinion which has already been formed and the adult who makes a directive concerning their own life under those conditions may make this action permanent by creating a living will or a previously prepared power of attorney, or directive which appoints a health care representative which the doctor may ask the patient to prepare in advance and keeps in the patient's file. It is the view of the writer of this paper that a person's advance directive should be followed, no matter how difficult it may be for the family or medical personnel."

Tags:medical ethics, law, health system

Abstract
This paper explains that the acute care nurse practitioner (APN) performs four roles: educator, researcher, clinician, and consultant/manager. The APN's role as consultant/manager is perhaps one of the most important of the four because this role helps to improve the use of existing scarce resources. The author points out that, in the acute care setting, the APN management role includes taking histories, conducting physical examinations, ordering, performing and interpreting appropriate diagnostic and laboratory tests, prescribing pharmacological agents, treatments, and non-pharmacological therapies for the management of the conditions, which they diagnose. The paper stresses that the structure of the acute care APN's role will depend upon the collaborative agreement with physicians and other members of the acute care team and organizational setting.

Table of Contents
Introduction
The Role as Consultant/Manager in an Acute Care Setting Implementation of APNs in Acute Care Settings
Summary and Conclusion

From the Paper
"The research also shows that once an APN has started the implementation process, it is vitally important to continue to solicit timely feedback from other staff members, patients and management. This feedback will help solidify productive interpersonal relationships and the overall health of the acute care operation. The experts on organizational change say that staff members must feel comfortable in providing feedback to their managers, and likewise, supervisors must learn how to share their perceptions of individual job performance in an accurate, clear and honest manner. Managers at all levels can facilitate the communication process in their organizations by ensuring that the process is one in which people are able to provide and receive feedback in an open, honest and constructive manner."

Tags:healthcare, hospital, physician, resources, tasks

Abstract
The assignment discusses Calkin's theory of advanced practice nursing in the field of psychiatry. The paper identifies the model and three core competencies and elaborated on them with respect to psychiatric nursing. In addition, the paper examines other core competencies with respect to cultural diversity and patient response.

From the Paper
"One of the most critical strategic challenges currently facing hospitals now and for the foreseeable future is the national nursing shortage. (Corning, 2002). The current nursing shortage is causing great concern and is expected to peak between the years 2010, and 2015 (Woods, & Cardin, 2002). According to Woods and Cardin 2002, "Unlike prior shortages, this one is not cyclical in nature and the solutions will require different and innovative approaches to avert a national public health crisis" (p.326). A great deal of attention has been paid to the root causes of the current and future nursing shortage; aging baby boomers, alternative professional opportunities for women (Woods, & Cardin, 2002), intense assignments, extra shifts, burn out, and little job satisfaction (Inglis, 2004)."

Tags:nursing, psychiatry, advancedpracticemodel

Abstract
The paper discusses end-of-life decisions, advance directives and patient advocacy that are issues within the scope of the health care social worker. The paper shows how the complexity of legal and medical issues involved in the creation of a living will and/or providing surrogate instructions is beyond the medical or legal training of the social worker.

From the Paper
"A social worker acts as a patient advocate. Social workers are charged with promoting patient respect and respect in treatment in end-of-life situations. The National Association of Social Workers was one of the first professional organizations to actively participate in support of the ethical dilemmas inherent in caring for individuals during end of life circumstances by issuing the formal policy statement "Client Self-Determination in End-of-Life Decisions in 1993 (Luptak, 2004). In the area of living wills, the social worker should only be part of a team that can help you address end-of-life issues and decisions and the member of the team to assure that other healthcare providers such as doctors and other facility staff know of your decisions ("How social workers," 2004). In the health care social worker's job, no task is more important than advocating for patients' wishes in end of life decisions."

Tags:patient, advocacy, end-of-life, issues, terminal, illness, physicians, lawsuits

Abstract
This paper considers the impact that the rapid advancement of technology is likely to have on daily life in the next ten or twenty years. The prediction here is that technology will advance fastest in expert applications, as the motivation and willingness to challenge boundaries is very high here. However, mass applications will also be more broadly accepted in the future.

From the Paper
"If one had asked the typical person in 1985 whether computers would play an important and pervasive role in all aspects of daily life by 2005, it is unlikely that such a person would have foreseen the degree to which computers would be involved in everything from entertainment to career preparation to business management to health care. The lesson that might be drawn from this is that only a fool would predict the future of technology's advance. Nevertheless, in the very act of predicting, we find an element of goal-setting that is critical in formulating the direction that technology might take."

Tags:technology, prediction, advancement

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses that the role of the social worker as patient advocate is an important one, especially in light of the shift from acute cause of death to chronic illnesses and quality-of-life issues in end-of-life situations. This paper examines the role of living wills and advance directives in light of the services a social worker provides. The opinion stressed is that social workers should not be involved in the education of the chronically ill patients regarding living wills; that it is the responsibility of the physicians, as social workers can not explain the clinical (medical) issues of the advance directive.

From the Paper
"The role of the social worker as patient advocate is an important one, especially in light of the shift from acute cause of death to chronic illnesses and quality-of-life issues in end-of-life situations. This paper examines the role of living wills and advance directives in light of the services a social worker provides. The opinion stressed is that social workers should not be involved in the education of the chronically ill patients regarding living wills; that it is the responsibility of the physicians, as social workers can not explain the clinical (medical) issues of the advance directive."

Tags:medical, living, will

Abstract
This paper contrasts outcomes management with outcomes research and defines an ideal outcome indicator. The paper also contrasts process and outcome indicators and offers examples, and then defines and operationalizes the three stages of an outcome evaluation plan. Finally, the paper discusses the purpose and impact of national comparative performance and benchmarking data resources on performance and outcome evaluation.

From the Paper
"Outcomes management deals with the relationship between health care processes and patient outcomes. Outcomes research attempts to understand the end results of specific health care practices and interventions. It is the foundation upon which guidelines for practice are based as well as research pertaining to the outcome of the implementation of these guidelines. While outcomes research is concerned with questions pertaining to the quality of life of patients, their mortality, and changes in their ability to function, outcomes management pertains to the more immediate ramifications of decisions made on a patient-to-patient level. Advance practice nursing..."

Tags:standards, outcomes, nursing

Abstract
The paper discusses how nurses are usually the daily care-givers of patients in nursing homes and hospitals. The paper explains that unlike the patient's doctor, the nurse frequently has time for more friendly and personal discourse with the patient or the patient's family, outside of the realm of healthcare, which may permit him or her to establish trust that other healthcare personnel might not be able to share. The paper discusses how in such an event, the nurse might be able to have an impact on what end-of-life decisions the patient or his or her family might make.

From the Paper
"Many Americans find it difficult to discuss death, or even to think about it at times. However, all human beings must eventually face that end. The inability to discuss this inevitable end often creates difficulty for the individual's family members, should he or she become incapacitated without leaving notification of what should be done if extreme measures need to be taken due to severe injury or illness. A great deal of confusion and possible contention can be avoided during such difficult times if the older adult family member has left an advance directive. Advance directives take many forms. Some of the more common of..."

Tags:nursing, directives, malpractice

Abstract
This paper looks at stem cell research using embryos. The author discusses the benefits of this type of research such as combating disease in the future. The author argues in favor of this type of research as he believes that this is a breaking step for medicine and provides counter-active arguments for the immorality and illegitimacy that is attached to embryo research.

From the Paper
"Since the dawn of mankind, humans have struggled to understand how and when life begins. Through countless developments in science and medicine, a much clearer understanding of the origin of life exists, as well as how the body itself works. Scientists of today have observed, in test tubes, the very first stages of life. And now scientists have discovered a new way to harness their knowledge of the origins of life in a way that promises to revolutionize medicine forever. Stem cell research is itself still in its infancy. In 1998, scientists at the University of Wisconsin and at Johns Hopkins University isolated and successfully cultured human pluripotent stem cells for the first time ever ("Fact Sheet"). These cells possess the potential to develop into nearly any type of cell in the body, including muscle, nervous, bone, blood, or skin."

Tags:baby, catholic, cell, church, clinic, clone, cloning, dna, doctor, embryonic, engineering, fertility, genes, genetic, health, human, moral, morality, pope, president, religion, research, scientist, sin, stem