What should nurses do to keep the care team informed about a patient's advance directives?

What should nurses do to keep the care team informed about a patient's advance directives?

• A. Inform All Health Care Team Members
• B. Limit Information to the Physician
• C. Post in the Patient Room Only
• D. Notify Only the Next of Kin

Answer: (A)

Clear, team-wide communication of a patient's advance directives is essential. Advance directives express the patient’s preferences for life-sustaining treatments and must be known by every clinician involved in care so decisions can reflect the patient’s wishes across shifts and different settings. When nurses inform all health care team members—physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, and others—the care plan can align with the patient’s values consistently, reducing confusion during emergencies or transitions. This approach also supports patient autonomy and helps ensure that interventions offered or withheld match what the patient would want, rather than relying on a single clinician’s memory or on family members alone. The directives should be documented clearly in the medical record and communicated through standard handoffs and team rounds, not left in only one place or shared with only one person. While involving the family is important in many contexts, the priority is that the entire care team is aware of the directives so care decisions reflect the patient’s documented wishes.

Clear, team-wide communication of a patient's advance directives is essential. Advance directives express the patient’s preferences for life-sustaining treatments and must be known by every clinician involved in care so decisions can reflect the patient’s wishes across shifts and different settings. When nurses inform all health care team members—physicians, nurses, social workers, case managers, and others—the care plan can align with the patient’s values consistently, reducing confusion during emergencies or transitions. This approach also supports patient autonomy and helps ensure that interventions offered or withheld match what the patient would want, rather than relying on a single clinician’s memory or on family members alone. The directives should be documented clearly in the medical record and communicated through standard handoffs and team rounds, not left in only one place or shared with only one person. While involving the family is important in many contexts, the priority is that the entire care team is aware of the directives so care decisions reflect the patient’s documented wishes.