I agree with directive 55 as it addresses many extremely important concerns regarding end of life decisions and care. This directive supports providing the patient with information to help him/her understand the disease process as well as a prognosis so that the individual can discuss such information with family or the healthcare team. Such information plays a major role in the process of informed consent and decision making. By providing the patient and family with necessary information, a decision can be made based on the patient and family’s desires after consideration of this information. Additionally, all patients should be afforded the opportunity to participate in spiritual support; as such support helps the patient derive what their illness means to him/her and can help the patient and family cope with the loss and grieving process. This directive is appropriate as it preserves the patient’s/family’s autonomy and allows the patient to make choices that ensure the patient’s dignity is maintained.

Directive 57 is important because it allows the patient to elect out of life-sustaining interventions that the patient sees as excessive. For example, this directive would enable a patient to establish a do not resuscitate order in the event that he/she experiences cardiac arrest. Patients can identify situations or interventions such as heroic measures, placement of enteral feeding tubes, mechanical ventilation, or other life sustaining measures that he/she does not wish to be subjected to. Again, this directive preserves patient autonomy and dignity.

Directive 60 addresses Euthanasia and assisted suicide; moreover, this directive strictly prohibits participation in such actions. This directive states that those requesting euthanasia should “receive loving care, psychological and spiritual support, and appropriate remedies for pain and other symptoms so that they can live with dignity until the time of death” (USCCB). These are rights of all patients; moreover, I feel that—ethically—a healthcare provider must never take part in euthanasia or assisted suicide as participation in such an action directly violates the principles of beneficence and non-malefescence.