Final answer:
The correct response to a patient requesting information about advance directives is to support their decision to create such a document and to offer help in completing the necessary paperwork. Advance directives, including DNR orders and health care proxies, are legal tools that allow patients to express their end-of-life care preferences.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a client requests information about advance directives, an appropriate nursing response is to acknowledge the significance and help facilitate their wishes. The answer 'It's important for you to express your wishes in an advance directive. I can help you with the paperwork. (Option D)' is the correct choice, as it directly addresses the patient's inquiry and provides supportive assistance towards achieving the patient's goal of establishing an advance directive.
Advance directives are crucial for ensuring that a patient's healthcare preferences are known and respected, especially when they can no longer communicate their wishes due to declining health. These legal documents can include a living will, a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order, or the appointment of a health care proxy. Through these directives, patients can make clear their preferences regarding medical treatments, life-extending procedures, or other interventions should they become incapacitated.
As a healthcare professional, it's essential to support and respect patients' end-of-life decisions, whether they involve euthanasia, hospice care, or the refusal of certain medical treatments. The nursing response should enable the expression of personal wishes regarding end-of-life care and provide the necessary information or assistance to complete such arrangements.