Advanced DirectivesCONTENTS. INTRODUCTION 4II. Will your advance directives be honored? 4III. What are Advanced Directives 5IV. Advanced directives fall short of 5V. Who decides 7VI. Why Advance Directives Are Not Followed 8VII Conclusion 9BIBLIOGRAPHY 10Introduction This document presents an in-depth discussion on the issues involved in complying with a patient's advance directive. Ethical considerations surrounding the issue in relation to the nursing profession are addressed. The purpose of the document is to express an informed position on the issue of respecting a patient's advance directive and explore the reasons why one may not be respected. The topic was chosen based on personal observation and awareness in an intensive care setting. The sources used to develop this article are published nursing journals, current books related to this issue, and the Internet. Will your advance directives be respected? Advances in medical technology have gone a long way in producing miraculous cures and recoveries. In some circumstances, however, these advances have created problems for the elderly. More aggressive technological approaches are being used to extend the lives of older adults. Overall, older people, as well as others, welcome this development, even if they fear some of its consequences. Thanks to these advances, it has become possible to keep people in a vegetative state for almost unlimited periods of time. Furthermore, there are situations in which neither the patient nor the family have the ability to put an end to such unhappy circumstances. For this reason, advanced directives are becoming more and more widespread. In a recent study, King (1996) reported that approximately 90% of the American public wants advance directives. Both young and healthy people express at least as much interest in planning as those over 65 and those in fair to poor health (p..