Issues Involved in End of Life Dilemmas

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Explain the issues involved in end-of-life dilemmas in healthcare.

I need a paper that is between 500 and 750 words in APA format.

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Running head: EOL DILEMMAS

EOL Dilemmas
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EOL DILEMMAS

Introduction
Death is inevitable, and the norms of natural death have since changed because of the
evolution of medical technology. Despite the existence of these advanced forms of technology in
healthcare, it is the healthcare professionals that have the responsibility of making most of the endof-life (EOL) decisions. Thus, the professionals are faced with constant ethical dilemmas because
other than the legal rules and regulations that govern the medical practitioners; the situations are
often characterized by charged emotions, grief, and loss (Thorns, 2010). The most common forms
of ethical dilemmas in end-of-life care revolve around shared decision-making, non-beneficial
care, ineffective symptom management, the compromising of patient autonomy, and
communication breakdowns.
It is not easy to hold death conversations and choices with patients as well as their families.
It requires the expertise of healthcare professionals to deliver such messages. Therefore, it is
necessary to practice more of these difficult conversations about EOL so that the professionals
may be skilled in delivering the intended messages to the patients and families (Morrison, 2009).
Consequently, they need to master communication techniques that will make them more
comfortable in addressing such EOL situations.
Communication during EOL dilemmas does not only go one way. The opinions of the
patients and their caregivers are also key in determining the eventual decision of the difficult
situation (Winzelberg et al, 2005). This is possible through the asking of open-ended questions
that will give room for the patients to share their feelings and experiences which are usually vital
to their decisions.

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EOL DILEMMAS

Mostly, the patients have stories that act as the background of their choices and healthcare
professionals should listen to them and help them with the decision-making processes. Thus,
numerous mechanisms exist to address this issue of communication breakdown (Ho, 2008).
Offering the family and patients with several options to explore is one way. Similarly, healthcare
practitioners can ask the patients about what they understand about their condition to get
information about how they feel and what they expect.
The next common EOL ethical dilemma exists within patient autonomy. This refers to the
right of the patients to make crucial decisions regarding their hea...


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