Issues for nurses regarding elder autonomy

This article reviews issues related to elder autonomy that challenge nurses in their daily practice. Maintaining and promoting quality patient care is paramount to the profession of nursing. Included in that promotion is the need for nurses to remain sensitive to the older individual's desire to act autonomously and make life choices. A brief review of limitations to elder autonomy is included, as well as examples of research studying autonomous action on the part of the elderly. The completing ethical principle of beneficence is briefly discussed and the issue of competency is considered. Autonomy remains a concern for all health-care providers, in particular, the role of the nurse is to support the decision making of the older adult and provide needed information to allow the elderly person to make decisions based on what is right for him or her.