1) Reflect on what nurses can do when individuals and families are living with suffering. Include a minimum of two citation/reference pairs in your response.
2) Review Standard 8 in the ANA: Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. How does the role of advocacy fit with Quaternary Prevention?
3) Reflect on quaternary prevention. How does quaternary prevention ‘fit’ with Dr. Gwande’s views?
4) How does ‘informed risk’ fit with decision making?
5) Reflect on the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and maleficence. How to they ‘fit’ in situations of chronic illness?
For the future
Dr. Atul Gwande is a prominent neurosurgeon whose perspective on death and dying changed when his own father was diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Gwande’s work has been very well received and recognized over the last few years. When you have a bit of free time (maybe between semesters), I strongly recommend reading his book titled Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End – well worth your time!
