Tuesday, November 4, 2008
DNR Status on New Admissions
I'm starting to love this blogging thing because I don't have to reference it in APA format. Anyway... listen to my YouTube video that I uploaded on DNR status. It is a little inappropriate, however, people don't realize why having a DNR code status is important on people who are frail, weak, have failure to thrive and are over 90 years old. In my hospital, I have many patients admitted who are over 90 years old and quite ready to die, but the family feels that they are playing God if they sign an order not to resuscitate. I'll tell you what playing God is like. Having a little old lady finally succumb to her renal failure or her weak, old heart finally being used up, and then in comes the crash cart. I jump on her chest and crack every rib while the doctor shoves a not-so flexible tube down her throat. We then inject her with epinephrine and other drugs hoping the heart starts on it's own but when it doesn't we will send an electrical shock through her until we hear a faint pulse and get a bp that perhaps will only continue for 2 days. Talk about it with your loved ones. Ideally, it's the patient who should decide.
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3 comments:
So true!! If people only knew what happens to their loved ones in a code blue I bet many would change their minds!
Oh man! There is a really sick man on ASU who was my primary patient on a different floor. I know he doesn't want to go through more hospitilizations or Code Blue's but the Dr. doesn't want to 'deal with that'- DNR status. It really bugs me. If he does code, I could potentially be doing CPR on a patient I KNOW doesn't want it. That's doctors for you though.
LOL love it. How many times have we heard nurses say "why aren't they a DNR" when they come across patients in poor condition.
It is so sad when you have to start jumping on the chest of a patient when you no there is no hope. It lacks dignity and can invoke so many feelings.
Like Amanda said, people would change their minds if they knew exactly what went on.
Also, another pet peeve of mine is doctors who refuse to talk to patients about DNR status.
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