As a cardiology nurse of 15 years, this esoteric debate is a daily reality. Patients are often ready to have honest discussions with their health-care providers, but I've found that family members (who are the ones who sue doctors and institutions) are terrified to have conversations about death and dying. If nothing else happens in health-care reform except discussions about realistic expectations of survival, recovery, and quality of life for the elderly, I will count it a success.
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