Intentions to Select a Given Level of Care When Confronted With an Ethical Issue: The Impact of a Living Will

The aim of this study is to evaluate the level of care nurses intended to select in a potential situation of overly aggressive therapy, whether the patient had or did not have a living will. MANOVA revealed that the presence of a living will had a significant impact on nurses’ decision making when selecting a level of care (p < .0001); this impact was noted for each construct in the theoretical framework (p < .005). Multiple regression analysis indicated the 86% of the variance in nurses’ intention was determined by the cognitive component of their attitude and perceived professional norm (p < .0001). In summary, most of the nurses intended to respect the wishes expressed by the patient in a living will.