Nursing Care in the Limitation of Therapeutic Effort: Right to Life, Right to die
Serrano Calvo, I.
Revista de Enfermeria 39(10): 8-17
2016
ISSN/ISBN: 0210-5020 PMID: 30252394 Document Number: 688898
Nowadays, technological development makes possible to keep alive a person by using life support in the ICU. However, extending life does not always entail a benefit for the patient. Sometimes it could produce some damages, causing the situation known like "therapeutic obstinacy]. Knowing the role played by nurses in the limitation of therapeutic effort (LTE). Literature review of original articles in both Spanish and English languages, published in Enfispo, Cuiden, IBECS, IME, SciELO and PubMed in the last 10 years. A sort of 41 articles based in some kind of selective process. Decision-making in the nursing role is not currently described. Therefore, the proposal is to create a clinical practice guidelines related to LET in order to clarify the role of professionals involved in their practice.