Smashing Nurse Stereotypes
Feb 12th, 2008 by Emily
I don’t usually get all excited about anything in the MSM, but this was well written and highlights a battle each of us fights when caring for patients:
When Does ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ Make Sense?
By SCOTT HAIG
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I actually think it was a poorly written article as it could leave a reader more confused then when they started reading the article. I am glad to see this topic (DNR) covered, but I thought the impact could have been a little more clear. He seemed to imply DNR’s kill people, which is an unfortunate way to gloss over a very important decision for any person. I went into more detail on the article over at Pallimed.
He did have me intrigued with his first paragraph though. And it is obvious that the experience with this patient affected him greatly as it does for many health care providers. I am just surprised his confusion got published so prominently.
Thanks for your blog.
@Christian
Thanks for the comment and the link. My experience with DNRs has been wrought with frustration. Those who should have had them didn’t and those who did, shouldn’t have. I had an 82 y/o woman who the family made us code 5 times over a matter of weeks. She ROTTED in the bed.
I had another 75 y/o patient who was in for an isolated spinal fracture after a fall—with no residual deficits—that the family didn’t want us to treat with ANYTHING (to include antibiotics). They even had us shut off his internal defibrillator. Instead of a short ICU stay and off to a short stint in rehab, the son and daughter almost killed him for no reason. (did I mention the daughter was an NP and the son a lawyer?–the SHAME). He lived despite his children’s best efforts at passively killing him.
So, I too am glad for the discussion. Even if the confusion in the MSM post may just muddy up the waters.