DNR: Whose Right to Choose?

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DNR: Whose Right to Choose?

Do not resuscitate (DNR) is an order written by a doctor or written in an Advance Directive initiated by a patient. The self-determination act of 1990 established the right of a patient to in certain situations where they may be unable to make crucial medical decisions because of incapacitation(Geppert, 2010). Orders given by the patient instruct medical personnel not to perform life saving measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A DNR order may also be specific to a medical facility depending on state law a patient may be able to choose what type of DNR order they would like to have. Many patients have these orders decided well before the need for them, due to the fact that the patient must be of sound mind to make these decisions. ("Comfort care," 1995-2013)

The reasoning behind this act is due to the many medical advances made in life saving treatments. With new cardiopulmonary techniques a person may continue to have their heart and lungs kept functioning independently from other body functions or conditions. DNR orders now allow a patient to make conscientious decision about what they would want done in regards to life saving measures. Various life saving measures may prolong the inevitable but not improve the patients’ health status or achieve their same quality of life as they had before. ("DNR," “n.d”)

Many people do not like to talk about these issues or feel they are too young to worry about things such as Advance Directives. These orders should be set up and made clear by patients before they are terminally ill or faced with emergency situations where they would be incapable of making these decisions on their own. Under circumstances where patients do not have a DNR order in pla...

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...tate (DNR)order. (“n.d”). Retrieved from http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com

Do not resuscitate orders and comfort care. (1995-2013). Retrieved from http://my.clevelandclinic.org

Do not resusitate orders. (1998). Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/dnr.html

Geppert, C. (2010). Saving life or respecting patient autonomy: The ethical dilemma of DNR orders in patients who attempt suicide. The Internet Journal of Law, Healthcare and Ethics, 7(1). Retrieved from http://ispub.com

Legal guide to do not resuscitate (DNR) orders. (2013). Retrieved from www.mhlac.org/Docs/legal_guide_dnr

Taylor, C. R., Lillis, C., LeMone, P., & Lynn, P. (2011). Values, ethics, and advocay. In Fundamentals of nursing : The art of science of nursing care (7th ed., pp. 84-107). Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MA New York, NY: Wolters kluwer Lipincott Williams and Wilkins.

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