Personal directives: Part IV. Alberta nurses see benefits for patients, families and caregivers

This is the fourth column in a series on personal directives and the Personal Directives Act that is expected to be proclaimed into law in Alberta in the spring of 1997. In the February column Lorraine Hardingham described the legal obligations of care providers when a personal directive is in effect, and some ethical issues that may arise in care settings. In this column we report results of a recent study of Alberta nurses beliefs, experiences and practices with end-of-life decision making, including their views about the effect that personal directives will have for patients, families and nurses.