When You Can't Speak: A Nurse's Guide to Advance Directives, Healthcare Proxies, and Making Your Wishes Count

Many people assume family 'just knows' their wishes — but unclear instructions cost time, trust, and can lead to conflict in high-stress moments. In this episode Jessica Tonia breaks down advance directives, healthcare proxies (medical power of attorney), living wills, and POLST: what each document does, how they differ, and how to make sure your choices are followed. Using real-world examples from the bedside, Jessica explains common pitfalls — ambiguous language, unsigned forms, and proxies who aren’t prepared — and provides step-by-step actions you can complete in one sitting. Listeners get exact conversation scripts to use with loved ones and clinicians, a checklist for legally valid signing and storage, and practical tips to confirm documents are in your medical record. By the end you’ll have clear next steps to protect your values and reduce burden on your family.