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Fri 15 Apr, 2005 11:40 am
ANA realeased statement on case of Terri Schiavo
I can't believe no one has discussed this yet on this site! I know you will all have your oponion. Please feel free to voice it.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) has released a statement on the case of Terri Schiavo, the 41-year-old brain-damaged Florida woman who died March 31, which was almost 2 weeks after the removal of a feeding tube that had sustained her for more than a decade following an MI in 1990.
The ANA statement, released March 23, is attributed to the association?s president, Barbara A. Blakeney, MS, RN:
"The Terri Schiavo case raises complex and emotional issues about the end of life.
The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognizes the difficulty of the situation, however, ANA has consistently upheld the right of patients, or if the patient is incapacitated, the right of the designated surrogate, to decide whether to submit to or continue medical treatment.
As nurses, we are ethically bound to assist our patients in maintaining control over their lives and to help them preserve their dignity.
The ANA believes that it is the responsibility of nurses to facilitate informed decision-making for patients and families who are making choices about end-of-life care.
The Code of Ethics for Nurses specifically outlines the nurse's obligation to protect the patient's right to self-determination and the role of a designated surrogate in situations where the patient lacks capacity.
In this case, Terri Schiavo's physicians, over many years, have declared her to be in a ?persistent vegetative state.? Furthermore, there is evidence that Terri Schiavo expressed her wishes not to have her life artificially maintained under such circumstances.
ANA believes the Congress and the president have acted inappropriately in this case. It is unfortunate that Terri Schiavo has now become the symbol of so many political agendas.
The positive outcome from this case is that it raises the public's awareness of the importance of discussing end-of-life issues with family members and underscores how an advance directive, a living will and/or durable power of attorney for health care, clarifies and provides evidence of the wishes of an individual regarding end-of-life decisions.
ANA encourages everyone to have an advance directive in place. Advance directives are controlled by state law and vary by state. A federal law, The Patient Self Determination Act of 1990, requires that most health care facilities provide patients with information about advance directives and ask patients about the existence of advance directives.
Physicians, nurses, social workers and attorneys are often resource persons in the community who can provide information and guidance concerning advance directives.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Terri Schiavo. I recognize that this is an extremely difficult situation. I wish Terri Schiavo the dignity and peace she so deserves and that we would all wish for ourselves and our own loved ones at the end of life."
Thank you for bringing this up. I had not heard of this ANA release.
I was really turned off by the whole Schrivo case. I had a hard time understanding the "big deal" about this case, where there are so many others across our nation very similar to this one. I was pleased to read the ANA release on the topic, and relieved to learn that I shared the same view. We need to remember that our patients come first, if there are other issues involved, they will always make a change in the way we go about the care or outcome for our patients. However, our patients dignity, respect for wishes and care should always come first, irregaurdless of the issues.
I also have had the oppinion that only good thing to come out of all the publicity is to make more people aware of the importance of living wills, DNR's, and all of the other "legalities" of life adn death.
HCP, DNR
It amazes me to day when you ask some on if they have a health care proxy or advanced directive they have no clue what you are talking about.
I also believe that the federal goverment and state legislatures should keep there noses out of individual situations unless they are writing a law to affect us all.
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