Introduction
The article under consideration dwells upon the quality of dying of patients in nursing homes. Vandervoort, Houttekier, Vander Stichele, van der Steen, and Van den Block (2014) conducted a cross-sectional study exploring the relationship between the presence of the advanced care plan and the quality of dying. A strong link between advanced care plans and quality of dying as nurses and nursing home residents’ relatives reported a lower level of distress (Vandervoort et al., 2014). It was also emphasized that such instruments as conversations with nursing professionals or the availability of GP orders that regulated decisions related to end-of-life care did not correlate with the quality of life.
Main body
The authors conclude that advanced care planning is the most effective strategy to ensure lower levels of discomfort and distress for both nursing professionals and relatives. Importantly, Vandervoort et al. (2014) claim that advanced care planning should occur as early as possible to ensure its effectiveness.
This article is relevant to the topic as it sheds light on specific outcomes associated with advanced care planning. Although the reasons behind the attitudes remained beyond the scope of the research, it can be inferred that the presence of a detailed plan developed with the patient ensures a higher level of comfort. Relatives are confident that the patient’s needs are properly satisfied.
Conclusion
Nurses can follow such principles as autonomy and beneficence since the patient receives the care that has been considered in advance. It is also important to add that legal issues can be avoided with the help of advanced care plans. The patient has the right to make such serious decisions as end-of-life care treatment and decide what should be done. Healthcare professionals have a detailed plan they should follow so that the relatives could regard their actions as appropriate.
Reference
Vandervoort, A., Houttekier, D., Vander Stichele, R., van der Steen, J. T., & Van den Block, L. (2014). Quality of dying in nursing home residents dying with dementia: Does advanced care planning matter? A nationwide postmortem study. Plus ONE, 9(3), 1-8. Web.