The Living Will from the Nurse's Perspective

Eisendrath S.J. Jonsen A. , The Living Will: Help or Hindrance? Journal of the American Medical Association 249: 2054 (April 15, 1983).

Cal. Health & Safety Code §7185–7195 (West 1982).

These states were: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. See Society for the Right to Die, News Release: Recent Developments in Natural Death Legislation and Other Significant Right to Die Gains (undated).

See, e.g. In re Storar , 438 N.Y.S.2d 266 (N.Y. 1981).

See Comparison of Right to Die Laws, in Legal & Ethical Aspects of Treating Critically & Terminally Ill Patients ( Doudera A. E. Peters J. D. , eds.) (AUPHA Press, Ann Arbor, Mich.) (1982) at 306–09 app.; Society for the Right to Die, 1983 Handbook (Society for the Right to Die, New York) (forthcoming 1983).

D.C. Code Ann. §6–2422(a) (1982).

Id. In addition, some states require that the document be notarized. See, e.g., Idaho Code §39–4504 (1982). Others require that the document be executed with the same formalities as a testamentary will. See, e.g., Ark. Stat. Ann. §82–3802 (1981). A state may permit another person to sign for the patient in his presence and at his express direction. Kans. Stat. Ann. §65–28.103(a) (1980).

D.C. Code Ann. §6–2422(4) (1982). Some statutes have fewer requirements. Vermont, for example, requires that the witness not be an heir, spouse, attending physician, or person acting under the direction or control of the attending physician, or creditor of the estate. Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 18, §5254 (1982).

Del. Code Ann. tit. 16, §2503 (1982).

See, e.g., Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. art. 2590h §3 (Vernon 1982).

See, e.g., D.C. Code Ann. §6–2422(c) (1982). A person may, for example, refuse organ transplantation, surgery, antibiotics, or intravenous feeding. J. Robertson, the Rights of the Critically Ill (Ballinger Books, Cambridge, Mass.) (1983) at 105 [hereinafter referred to as Critically Ill].

See Critically Ill, supra note 11, at 168 (providing sample living wills from California, Concern for Dying, and the Society for the Right to Die).

See, e.g., Kan. Stat. Ann. §65–28,101 — 28,109 (1980).

See, e.g., Idaho Code §39–4506 (1982); Del. Code Ann. tit. 16, §2506(c) (1982) (requiring re-execution every ten years); Or. Rev. Stat. §97.055(6) (1982) (requiring re-execution every five years; when declarant is comatose or unable to communicate with attending physician, however, directives shall remain in effect for duration of condition).

A Living Will, in Terminally Ill Patients, supra note 5, at 315 app.

Idaho Code §39–4505(1) (1981).

N.C. Gen. Stat. §90–321(e) (1981).

See, e.g., Ala. Code §2208A-8 (1982).

D.C. Code Ann. §6–2421(5) (1982).

D.C. Code Ann. §6–2421(3) (1982). Not every state uses these terms or requires the same procedures. For example, North Carolina requires that the attending physician determine that the declarant's present condition is terminal and incurable; this determination must be confirmed by another physician. N.C. Gen. Stat. §90–321(b) (1981).

See, e.g., D.C. Code Ann. §6–2421(3) (1982).

See, e.g., Del. Code Ann. tit. 16, §2503(d) (1982).

See Critically Ill, supra note 11, at 168 (living will from Concern for Dying, Inc.)

See, e.g., Nev. Rev. Stat. §449.640 (1979).

See, e.g., N.M. Stat. Ann. §24-7-1 (1981).

Critically Ill, supra note 11, at 104.

See, e.g., D.C. Code Ann. §6–2427(b) (1982).

See, e.g., Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §70.122.050 (1981).

Critically Ill, supra note 11, at 99.

Annas G. J. Glantz L. Katz B. , The Rights of Doctors, Nurses, and Allied Health Professionals (Ballinger Books, Cambridge, Mass.) (1981) at 221.

438 N.Y.S.2d 266 (N.Y. 1981).

In re Quinlan, 355 A.2d 647 (N.J. Super. 1976).

Eichner, supra note 31, at 274, quoting Addington v. Texas, 441 U.S. 418, 427 (1979) and Backer Mgt. Corp. v. Acme Quilting Co., 413 N.Y.S.2d 135 (N.Y. 1978).

For the view that Eichner and its accompanying case, In re Storar, can be applied only to patients who have been adjudicated incompetent, see Dunn L.J. , The Eichner/Storar Decision: A Year's Perspective, Law, Medicine & Health Care 10(3): 117 (June 1982).

Law Reform Commission of Canada, Euthanasia, Aiding Suicide and Cessation of Treatment (Working paper 28) (1982) at 69. It is partly this notion that led the Law Reform Commission to explicitly reject the adoption of living will legislation. It should be noted that the Commission is now receiving public comment on its working paper and then plans to submit its revised final views to the Ministry of Justice and to Parliament.

Id. at 70–71.

See Eisendrath & Jonsen , supra note 1, at 2055.

Id. at 2056.

Id.

See, e.g., Kans. Stat. Ann. §63–28.103(a) (1980).

See, e.g., D.C. Code Ann. §6–2423 (1982).

See, e.g., Idaho Code §39–4505(1) (1981).

See, e.g., D.C. Code Ann. §6–2422(b) (1982).

Critically Ill, supra note 11, at 99.

Greenlaw J.L. , Orders Not to Resuscitate: Dilemma for Acute Care as Well as Long Term Care Facilities, Law, Medicine & Health Care 10(1): 29 (February 1982).