Treatment trials - The need for an end-of-life policy
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Mary Ellen Wurzbach, RN, PhD, John McNaughton Rosebush Professor Emerita, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA
- Sigma Affiliation
- Eta Pi
Currently, there is an epidemic of elders in nursing homes with swallowing difficulties, Alzheimer’s, and other maladies, which cause diminished decision-making capacity and initiate the discussion of whether to insert a gastrostomy tube. Furthermore, there is an overriding belief among health care practitioners that once inserted the tube will remain until the death of the resident.
The need for policy provisions related to treatment trials of gastrostomy tubes at the end-of-life is discussed. The arguments supporting and opposing treatment trials as applied to the individual and to the community are articulated and the benefits of such a policy discussed from an individual and community perspective.
This article is based on a five-year case study and a doctoral dissertation.
This work has been approved through a peer-review process prior to its posting in the Virginia Henderson Global Nursing e-Repository.
| Type | Article |
| Acquisition | Self-submission |
| Review Type | Peer-review: Single Blind |
| Format | Text-based Document |
| Evidence Level | Case Study/Series |
| Research Approach | Other |
| Keywords | Ethics, Nursing; Withdraw Treatment; Withhold Treatment; Treatment; Policies |
| CINAHL Subject(s) | Gastrostomy Tubes; Euthanasia, Passive; Palliative Care--Ethical Issues |
| MESH Subject(s) | Palliative Care |
| MESH Subject(s) | Palliative Care |
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