Congress Abstracts 2006

164

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES: THE PATIENTS' ORDERS ON THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE AND DEATH. Barbara Biedrzycki, RN, MSN, AOCN^®, CRNP, Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD.

The Patient Self Determination Act of 1990 brought the novel concept of planning for end of life care to the nation's attention. The federal law mandates that health care facilities provide patients with written information regarding their rights to make health care decisions and document their advanced directive status. While the quality compliance of marked check boxes have been adequate, oncology nurses know that there is a national knowledge deficit regarding advance directives. Furthermore, oncology nurses are expected to be trusted resources to assist with decision making for end of life care.

Using adult learning principles, oncology nurses will be updated on advance directive news, including living will registries. This project will provide the basics regarding accessing forms and state-specific information about living wills and the durable power of attorney for health care, to more advanced ethical issues. The old adage, "See one, do one, and teach one" serves as the "conceptual model." The purposes of this activity are: 1) to update oncology nurses about advance directives, 2) to assess oncology nurses' advance directives status, and 3) to determine if resources and knowledge impact advance directive usage.

Oncology nurses will receive resources to implement their own advance directives, and to teach others. Oncology nurses will be encouraged to try their new skills on family members and friends first. This friends and family exercise will build confidence and reinforce knowledge before working with patients who may be facing end of life decisions now.

The project goals will be evaluated through a novel approach. Participants will be asked to mark a stroke directly on a portion of the poster to indicate if they have advance directives and if access to resources and knowledge impact advance directives usage.