As a former hospital critical care nurse who has seen many patients resuscitated, and then kept alive for months on life-support in a comatose or vegetative state, I have very strong feelings about “Do Not Resuscitate” orders. For many patients, resuscitation was a great disservice to them, and only prolonged the dying process.
We tend to associate “Do Not Resuscitate” orders with elderly people who are terminally ill. However, they are appropriate for anyone with an end-stage terminal illness, including young cancer patients, and even terminally ill children.
Unlike a Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney, which are documents that you sign for yourself, a “Do Not Resuscitate” order must be given by your doctor after a consultation. If your doctor does not give a “Do Not Resuscitate” order, medical personnel must administer CPR.
If you have a “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) order, you should display it on the front door of your home or on the refrigerator, so that emergency medical personnel can find it easily. If you are a patient in a health care facility, your doctor will put a “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) order on your chart.
Like all advance medical directives, a DNR order can be revoked at any time. They do not apply to other kinds of medical care, such as treatment for pain, bleeding, or broken bones. They only apply to resuscitation procedures, like chest compressions and breathing tubes.
If you, or a loved one, is facing a life-threatening illness, I highly recommend the video Being Mortal, which was aired on PBS in 2015, and in which Dr. Atul Gawande discusses end-of-life issues in detail.