Posted: April 24th, 2025

Topic 5 DQ 2

End-of-life care becomes an issue at some point for elderly patients. Discuss the difference between palliative care and hospice care programs. Discuss what you can do as a nurse to support your patients regarding end-of-life care in accordance with their wishes. Explain the use of advance directives versus Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and their legal implications when providing care for elderly patients.

Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to “RN-BSN DQ Rubric” and “RN-BSN Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively. 

American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education

This assignment aligns to AACN Core Competency 9.4.