Executive summary

Do Not Resuscitate

How many of us have taken a moment to plan for ones future with their health needs? Most just do not make those plans at all. A majority of people wait till it is too late to make any decision when it comes down to it. Everyone feels invisible and believes the worst thing possible will never happen to them (Tomlinson, 2016).

The do not resuscitate came about in the early nineteen hundreds by Congress and passed into law as the Patient Self-Determination Act, which means the hospitals have to honor the choices of their patients for healthcare outcomes. Not all States within the United States use the Do not resuscitate form, which allows the patients next of kin to make the end of life decisions if their family member becomes incapacitated (American Medical Id, 2016).

Many United States also do not recognize living wills or health care proxies within the pre hospital status or within the pre hospital personnel where it may be required to begin resuscitation measures unless a certain state sponsored document is appropriately completed and co-signed by a doctor (American Medical Id, 2016).

A do not resuscitate order is a document or a patient identification device designed by the Department of Health that is used to identify individuals who do not want to be resuscitated in the event of an cardiac arrest or respiratory attack. It is usually set up prior to an emergency event. The do not resuscitate order or DNR is a medical order written by a physician. It tells the healthcare team to not perform CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation upon the patient’s heart stops beating, or breathing (Florida Department of Health, 2016).

The do not resuscitate order has several names, such as; no code, end of life, advanced directive or living will. When obtaining a DNR the patient must talk to his or her physician. Once that step has occurred, the doctor may transfer the patient to another provider for care. If the patient is in the hospital setting or nursing home, the doctor must settle any arguments within seventy-two hours to ensure your wishes are followed. The physician will then commence to filling out your DNR within your medical records. The patient may also have to carry a wallet sized card or bracelet or even post a copy somewhere within the home. DNR’s can be obtained through the Department of Health within your state (National Institutes of Health, 2016).

References

American Medical ID, (2016).