The Integration of Life Review Therapy, Ethical Wills And Dignity Therapy into Advanced Practice Nursing

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

College/School

College of Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Program Concentration

Family Practice Nursing

Abstract

This literature review examines use of life review therapy, ethical wills, and dignity therapy among geriatric and terminally ill populations, with the aim of understanding the benefits, drawbacks, feasibility and differences between the psychosocial spiritual based therapies and to ultimately, make recommendations for integration of these therapies into advanced practice nursing. A comprehensive search was conducted using the key words "life review therapy", "ethical wills" and "dignity therapy" in the CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, PubMed and PsychInfo databases. Peer-reviewed journal articles were included in the literature review if published between 2005 and 2010. Based on general themes that emerged from the literature review, several feasible models are proposed that integrate these therapies into advanced practice nursing. For the geriatric patients, group life review therapy provided in nursing homes and the community, and ethical wills introduced at primary care clinics are recommended. For terminally ill patients, dignity therapy in palliative care facilities or at patients' homes is recommended. The intention of these models is to help healthcare providers routinely incorporate psycho-social spiritual care into their standard of care for geriatric and terminally ill patients. These models provide a tool and empower healthcare providers to best meet the psychosocial spiritual care geriatric and terminally-ill patients.

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