Policy Analysis Paper: Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Policy

Abstract

DNR is a written instruction from the physicians to the medical staff not to try to revive the patient if breathing or heart beat has stopped. The decision to do-not-resuscitate is a very complex decision and raises many ethical and legal concerns. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the DNR policy in King Hussein Cancer Center in regard to, administrative ease, cost and benefits, equality, legality, and political acceptability to find out the weakness and strength points in this policy, and try to add some modification and suggest some alternatives then all these alternatives will be evaluated again in order to choose the most effective, ease, legal, equal, acceptable, and cost effective one. The alternatives that added to DNR policy of King Hussein Cancer Center are: 1) identify patient who can sign on DNR order, 2) the actions that will done and the actions that will not done with DNR order, 3) consent form for DNR order, 4) paper for Non-hospital Order Not to Resuscitate, 5) increase nursing role in DNR order because It is the responsibility of the physicians only to implement this policy, 6) need of multi-disciplinary work to make complete dissection about DNR by team of (primary attending physician, residence, psychologist, nurse manager of the department, patient, family and chief), 7) put steps for assessment of patient capacity and if patent lack capacity prioritizes the surrogate according to patient.Summary and Conclusion: After added this aspect the DNR policy will be comprehensive and have a solution to any conflict that may face us when we apply DNR new policy, to prevent any abuse of DNR order and protect patient rights’ in self-etermination end of life issue, and protect health team from legal problems because of absent of consent form in DNR order.