End of Life Discussion
After spending some time thinking about end of life care, I think that there are multiple options for what I would personally like done, depending on the situation.At this age, if I coded, I would like to be a full code status. If I was a diagnosed with a terminal disease, I would like to die in the most humane way and be a DNR/DNI status. If I was involved in an event that left me in a vegetative state with no brain activity then I would like to be taken off life support. If I was in a long-term coma with brain activity, I am not sure what I would want for myself. I think it would depend on what my family would want and how it would affect them. If there was a possibility of me returning then I am really not sure what I would want and am continuing to think about this. I think that making my parents the executor of my will/health directive would be the most appropriate decision, however I would have to my wishes well defined because I think they would have a hard time making these decisions without my prior explanation.
I think my family would want a similar situation to what I would personally want for myself. I have spoken to my parents and grandma (on my mom’s side) and they have all expressed that they would not like to be kept on mechanical life sustaining support if it came down to that. I think it would be important to have a more in-depth conversation about this topic to see what specifically they would want if faced with this terrible possibility. My family lives about 100 miles south in Orange County and think that this is more of an in-person conversation so I have not facilitated a detailed conversation about this yet.
Culture, family and diversity play a huge role in end-of-life decisions. Different religions do not allow life-support to be taken away while some might favor this action. Family values could also affect whether or not resuscitation efforts are continued or ended. I think regardless of culture, family or diversity, all decisions should be counted as valid for that individual/family and as nurses we have to respect these choices even if we do not agree with them.
