While recovering from a severe illness, a hospitalized patient states that he wants to change his living will, which he signed nine months ago. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

a. "Check with your admitting health care provider whether a copy is on your chart."
b. "Have you talked with your attorney recently about a living will?"
c. "Your living will can be changed only once each calendar year."
d. "Let me check with someone here in the hospital who can assist you."


D
Each health care facility has personnel who are familiar with the state laws and can assist the patient in revising a living will. They may be in the admissions or risk management department. Checking with the health care provider about the presence of a living will on the chart has nothing to do with the patient's desire to change the living will. The question states that the patient wants to change his living will. Asking whether he has talked to his lawyer recently is a closed-ended question that passes the responsibility to someone else, that is, the attorney, and does not address the patient's current desire to change the living will. It is the nurse's responsibility to find an appropriate person in the facility to assist the patient. A living will can be changed whenever the patient decides to change it, as long as the patient is competent.

Nursing

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