Deciding for others: surrogates struggling with health care decisions.

J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv

Published: July 2014

As the number of older adults in our society increases, surrogate decision makers are increasingly likely to be called on to make complex, and often agonizing, health care decisions for loved ones. Recent studies of surrogate decision making have described the decision-making process as overwhelming and stressful. Nurses play an important role in helping family members to make meaningful decisions with less stress. Nurses who serve as educators, advocates, and compassionate listeners can help reduce the deleterious effects of surrogates' difficult decisions. It is important that nurses and other health care professionals find effective ways to support surrogates who struggle with making decisions for others.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20140603-01DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

health care
12
care decisions
8
surrogate decision
8
decisions
5
deciding surrogates
4
surrogates struggling
4
struggling health
4
decisions number
4
number older
4
older adults
4

Similar Publications

Digital health platforms for asthma self-management have demonstrated promise in improving clinical and quality of life outcomes. However, few studies have examined such an approach in a real-world, fully remote setting. As such, we evaluated the benefit of an evidence-based digital self-management platform for asthma-both on its own and when integrated into an established virtual clinical service.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Vancomycin, an antibiotic with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is frequently included in empiric treatment for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) despite the fact that MRSA is rarely implicated in CAP. Conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on nasal swabs to identify the presence of MRSA colonization has been proposed as an antimicrobial stewardship intervention to reduce the use of vancomycin. Observational studies have shown reductions in vancomycin use after implementation of MRSA colonization testing, and this approach has been adopted by CAP guidelines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Electronic pharmacy (e-pharmacy) services are growing rapidly, offering increased accessibility, privacy, and value. Understanding e-pharmacy customer satisfaction, attitudes, and perceptions in Saudi Arabia is crucial for improving the services and enhancing health outcomes. This study aims to examine customers' perceptions, preferences, satisfaction, and experiences with electronic pharmacy services, including community pharmacy e-commerce.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Experimental and clinical studies have suggested that symbiotics might effectively manage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by modulating the intestinal microbiota. However, these studies' limited sources, small sample sizes, and varied study designs have led to inconsistent outcomes regarding glycaemic control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of symbiotics on the anthropometric measures, glycaemic control, and lipid profiles of patients with T2DM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Despite progress made towards SDG 3, sub-Saharan Africa lags behind the rest of the world, accounting for over 50% of global neonatal deaths. The increased number of hospital births in the region has not reciprocated the reduction in neonatal mortality rates. Sick newborns face uncertain journeys from peripheral facilities to specialized centres arriving in suboptimal conditions, which impacts their outcomes, due partly to the scarcity of dedicated neonatal transport services.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!