Introduction
When someone has a severe illness that renders them incapable of managing their lives and health, they don’t necessarily lose the capacity for decision-making. In carrying out such aspirations, patients must write out advance prescriptions that the health workers must follow in an emergency (Lauridsen et al., 2020). This paper will discuss the Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form and the Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD), two pieces of law that pertain to people’s capacity for making their own decisions regarding their health care. The differences between an AHCD and the POLST will be explored, along with the licensed nurse’s duty to uphold the client’s freedom of choice in selecting the diagnostic care they do not want to undergo.
Part One: The Advance Health Care Directive
Let’s say someone cannot make autonomous healthcare decisions. In such a situation, an AD is a statutory instrument that enables the client to inform loved ones and the health professional about the kind of healthcare care they would choose to receive or forgo. Everyone is urged to finish their consent forms since doing so ensures that their medical intentions are known (Gould, 2022). Once modified, this document has infinite relevance, as stated on the portal. You can contact the Attorney General’s Office and submit a complaint if there are cases in California where the directive needs to be implemented. In filling out the AD, there must have been three areas that needed to be completed: power and authority of attorney for medical treatment; orders for medical treatment; organ transplants upon death; the lead clinician; execution; and lastly, certification. To further explain the therapy recommendations in part two, there is the option of choosing not to prolong life or a resolve to do so, as well as space to communicate wants for pain relief and other goals. As a consequence, the patient has the option to personalize and select their treatment strategy.
The parts were straightforward, but given that an AD is helpful for people who are “terminally ill, severely injured, in a catatonic state, in the late stages of dementia, or close to the end of life,” someone could make the argument that this documentation is challenging to finish as it may be psychologically taxing to take into account these situations. Nevertheless, when the individual is experiencing physical, psychological, or spiritual pressure, it should not be correctly filled out. As a result of the fact that “health emergencies are unpredictable,” “attempting to inform patients and assist them in completing an advance healthcare directive while they are experiencing a crisis is improper since they are not in the best frame of mind to make informed judgments,” To avoid unpleasant hospital stays, these forms are advised to be completed.
Imagine the patient’s family members who decide to finish this paperwork while in the clinic; the added stress of being ill and the health center may make it challenging. Furthermore, somebody needs to be prepared since some conditions will allocate “somebody to make medical decisions for you [this could be] your partner, your relatives if they are readily accessible, or your kids if they are grownups you have had no relatives, the nation might use somebody to portray your long term interests” if no progress directive or care strategies have already been made (Jack et al., 2019). These circumstances can be prevented by being prepared, wanting to plan, and realizing that filling out these forms does not always imply illness.
Raising consciousness of the accomplishment of advanced care planning is essential because it may be changed as conditions change. People in excellent health might not feel compelled to make consent forms, and discussing end-of-life situations can result in “unease, sadness, and pain from paranoia.” After finishing this document, the person receiving treatment should talk about their options with “their health care advocates, family members, and your doctor to explain what you have ultimately decided manner; they are not surprised by your preferences in the event of an emergency,” according to one recommendation (Jack et al., 2019). Families and medical professionals must freely speak when planning end-of-life care and therapies to support and encourage patients’ preferences.
Part Two: POLST Form
The DNR orders are replaced by the POLST, which is geared for “very sick or weak persons [and] offers] more explicit direction over their health care treatments” (Muller, 2023). In a medical emergency, the POLST form communicates one’s desire for medical instructions to all involved healthcare professionals. Additionally, it is a component of advance care planning and can be pretty direct, such as “Yes, take me to the hospital” or “I want to stay here.” An authorized healthcare provider must sign this POLST form to be valid. Additionally, submitting this form is voluntary; if a person is in decent shape, there is no reason to submit it. Many states and territories do not allow healthcare providers to ratify this form except if the client is considered seriously ill or has sophisticated insufficiency because it is destined for individuals who are gravely ill or even have sophisticated frailty. Patients must be given advance directive paperwork, but only 18% to 31% of those forms are filled out. One of the challenges with submitting these applications is language barriers.
POLST papers and informed consent are examples of prior clinical guidelines that can be altered or amended, though they are not the same. If a person is sound, an advance order is an option, which is a critical difference compared to a POLST document. POLST, on the contrary, is for patients with severe illness and extensive weakness (Muller, 2023). An Advance Directive is a formal document that expresses one’s wishes and is not just for older people because unexpected end-of-life occurrences can happen anytime. Additionally, “POLST is meant for persons who have been previously declared with a severe illness and is not meant to supersede other mandates” and can be communicated if one is taking up residence at a child care facility, hospice psychiatric facility, or any other location that is simple for the minimally invasive staff to explore (Muller, 2023).
Part III: Write a summary and conclusion to connect the two initial segments.
What separates the POLST from an advanced healthcare statement
The contrasts between an advance directive and a POLST form are striking. Moreover, a POLST cannot replace an advanced health care directive. Nonetheless, when utilized appropriately, these documents convey a patient’s preferences. Patients use advance directives to decide how their medical care will be handled when they lose the capacity to do so. The healthcare power of attorney is what it is called. In instances involving end-of-life care, it offers recommendations or instructions for making healthcare decisions.
In contrast, a POLST document contains a list of medical directives approved by the patient and the doctor. The form is intended for usage during a changeover in medicine. Whereas an advance health directive is a legal document, a POLST is a medical directive. A medical professional also performs a POLST, whereas the patient or a designated surrogate completes an advanced health command. A loan health instruction may be granted for a healthy, competent adult, but a POLST is only given to those unwell or with significant medical issues.
The Role of a Nurse in Promoting Patient Autonomy
The patient is right to autonomy while choosing medical procedures is very crucially protected by a trained nurse. The nurse outlines all information on the suggested medical intervention, including advantages, downsides, and possible alternatives (Blundell et al., 2021). Although educating the patient, the healthcare provider should not attempt to sway their decision or tempt them. After giving the patient the essential information, the nurse must let them decide whether to accept or reject the intervention. The patient is free to select the course of therapy that best suits their needs.
Conclusion
The preoperative mandate is a crucial document that allows Californians to communicate POLST form outlines clients’ care regimens as their final days draw near. A POLST form and an advance directive differ significantly from one another. Another distinction is that although a POLST is only issued to the sick or those with significant medical issues, an advanced health directive may be made for a healthy, competent adult. When a patient is making medical decisions, the nurse should respect their right to autonomy.
References
Blundell, S. J., De Renzi, R., Lancaster, T., & Pratt, F. L. (Eds.). (2021). Muon Spectroscopy: An Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Gould, K. A. (2022). National Health Care Decision Day 2022. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, 41(4), 169-170.
Jack, C. R., Therneau, T. M., Weigand, S. D., Wiste, H. J., Knopman, D. S., Vemuri, P., … & Petersen, R. C. (2019). Prevalence of biologically vs. clinically defined Alzheimer spectrum entities using the National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer’s Association research framework. JAMA neurology, 76(10), 1174-1183.
Lauridsen, M. D., Butt, J. H., Østergaard, L., Møller, J. E., Hassager, C., Gerds, T., … & Fosbøl, E. L. (2020). The acute myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock occurred during the pandemic coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). IJC Heart & Vasculature, 31, 100659.
Muller, L. S. (2023). Having the Talk: Meaningful Use of Legal Documents. Professional Case Management, 28(2), 83-86.
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