Your client is in the special care area of your hospital with multiple trauma and severe bodily burns. The elements of informed consent which includes information about possible treatments and procedures in terms of their benefits, risks and alternatives to them so the client can make a knowledgeable and informed decision about whether or not to agree to having it may be part of these advanced directives, but the law that protects these advance directives is the Patient Self Determination Act.ģ.

It covers hard copy and electronic medical records unless the client has formally approved the sharing of this information with others such as family members. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) supports and upholds the clients’ rights to confidentially and the privacy of their medical related information regardless of its form. This Act also supports the rights of the client to be free of any coercion or any undue influence of others including healthcare providers. These decisions can also include rejections for future care and treatment and these decisions are reflect in advance directives. The Patient Self Determination Act, which was passed by the US Congress in 1990, gives Americans the right to make healthcare decisions and to have these decisions protected and communicated to others when they are no longer competent to do so. You should reinforce the wife’s belief that legally married spouses automatically serve for the other spouse’s durable power of attorney for health care decisions and that others than the spouse cannot be legally appointed while people are married.You should be aware of the fact that the client has a knowledge deficit relating to advance directives and durable powers of attorney for healthcare decisions and plan an educational activity to meet this learning need.You should be aware of the fact that the wife of the client has a knowledge deficit relating to advance directives and durable powers of attorney for healthcare decisions and plan an educational activity to meet this learning need.You should respond to the couple by stating that only unanticipated treatments and procedures that are not included in the advance directive can be made by the legally appointed durable power of attorney for healthcare decisions.How should you, as the nurse, respond to and address this conversation between the husband and wife and the end of life? I can only make decisions for you and on your behalf when these decisions are not already documented on your advance directive.” The client tells you that they are grateful for having considered and decided upon some end of life decisions and the appointments of those who they wish to make decisions for them when they are no longer able to do so.ĭuring this discussion with the client and the client’s wife, the client states that “my wife and I are legally married so I am so glad that she can automatically make all healthcare decisions on my behalf without a legal durable power of attorney when I am no longer able to do so myself” and the wife responds to this statement with, “that is not completely true. You are caring for a client at the end of life.

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