Abstract

In the older adult population, people do not consistently die where or in a manner they envision, and the words used when discussing end-of-life (EOL) preferences can influence how one dies. One of the terms most used to indicate a person's wishes for no heroic measures during EOL decision making is Do Not Resuscitate (DNR). Another term in the EOL literature is Allow Natural Death (AND); however, AND is underexamined and not utilized consistently in the healthcare industry. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of adults ages 65 and older who are not terminally ill regarding the meaning of the term DNR as compared to the term AND. To do this, 24 individual semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom. Participants were interviewed to 1) determine how older adults describe their understanding of the terms AND and DNR, and 2) identify preference for AND or DNR among older adults. The data from this qualitative descriptive study generated four themes: 1) Control; 2) Emergency versus Calm; 3) Communication is Key; and 4) Quality of Life. The results of this study inform patients, loved ones, and healthcare professionals about how older adults understand DNR and AND to be similar and different, and provide insight into which term may be preferred in which EOL settings. Future research is indicated, including introducing EOL discussions into high school curriculums, and to conduct a similar study focused on people of color as well as people from different faith perspectives.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 28866254; ProQuest document ID: 2614744102. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Jodi A. Erickson, PhD, CNLC

Sigma Membership

Psi at-Large

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Natural Death, Older Adults, Do Not Resuscitate Orders, End-of-Life Decisions, Quality of Life

Advisor

Mary Ann Cantrell

Second Advisor

Meredith MacKenzie Greenle

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

Villanova University

Degree Year

2021

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2022-01-28

Full Text of Presentation

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