Eckberg Evelyn April 1998 the Continuing Ethical Dilemma of the Donotresuscitate Order

The Case of DNR Recognition, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 636

Essay

The Do Not Resuscitate demand from patients is an effective demand that is supposed to be respected by healthcare facilitators including expert physicians. This type of request is often passed on by the patient at the brink of giving up on being able to recover from a particular ailment. The loss of hope brings these patients into a sense of giving up. Most often than not, the idea of being supported by machines just so to be able to live and survive discourages them from actually accepting further medical assistance. Not to mention the pain that they know they are to face puts them in the position of wanting nothing to do with further medication procedures that would prolong their suffering.

Physicians are often faced with the dilemma of whether or not to follow such demand especially when they know there is still a fair chance of survival for the patient. Relatively, physicians have the duty to save lives especially if they know that there is still a viable chance to save the life of their patients. Considerably, it could be analyzed that at some point, in cases like this, the application of DNR demands make it harder for them to decide especially when it comes to compromising their obligation and their ethical principles in relation to the providing life apart from letting death push through as a result of a medical situation.

True, physicians took an oath of saving the lives of the patients at any cost. At some point, it could be realized that such responsibility comes along with the value of their profession as doctors who are supposed to give support to the medical condition of the patients whose cases they hope to handle. It is the ethical responsibility of the physicians to impose on what they think would be best for their patients. However, in instances when DNR demands are presented, it could be analyzed how physicians are expected to comply. Administrators of hospitals are then expected to make necessary measures that would assure that the decision of the patient to not be treated anymore would be respected.

For administrators to make sure of such effective response to DNR demands, specific protocols and rules should be imposed as policies that the physicians and other healthcare staffs of the hospital should recognize. Understandably, not following such principles should have an accountable counter response from the administrator [which could include the repulsion of the license of practice medicine of any physician who would go against the policies made in accordance with the recognition of the clauses included in the DNR guidelines. Hospital administrators should make it clear that a part of the legal and ethical obligation of physicians is to make sure that they are able to respect the decision of their patients. In times when they feel like there are still chances that the patient would survive and recover a particular medical situation, they should be given the fair chance to talk to the administrator and patient's relatives and perhaps the patient themselves. This would allow them the chance to convince the individuals involved especially the patient to withdraw the DNR. However, if the withdrawal did not happen and the patient still pushes for the DNR to be applied, then the physician should be advised to follow the requests of the parents as a sign of respect and as response to their moral, ethical and legal obligations as healthcare providers.

References

Zoch TW, Desbiens NA, DeStefano F, Stueland DT, Layde PM (July 2000). "Short- and long-term survival after cardiopulmonary resuscitation". Arch. Intern. Med. 160 (13): 1969–73.

Eckberg, Evelyn (April 1998). "The continuing ethical dilemma of the do-not-resuscitate order". AORN Journal. "The right to refuse or terminate medical treatment began evolving in 1976 with the case of Karen Ann Quinlan v New Jersey (70NJ10, 355 A2d, 647 [NJ 1976]).

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