DNR Surgical Patients - Essay Example

Article: Do Not Resuscitate Orders in the Perioperative Period: Patient Perspectives The content of the journal article is very much relevant and applicable to my anesthesia practice because it discusses the different preferences of patients in terms of how DNR orders would be carried out in their name and for their welfare. It is applicable to my practice because it points out how important it is for me to be vigilant about patient’s preferences and on possible options in carrying out a DNR order. The article is also applicable to my anesthesia practice because it discusses different possible scenarios which may be encountered in the practice. It also discusses the legal and moral implications of anesthesia practice and how these implications eventually affect the decision-making process of both the patient and the attending medical health care team.
I can apply the information in this article to my clinical practice because I can use the results revealed by this study in considering options for DNR patients. In my anesthesia practice, I can be more prudent of patient’s needs and of their choices. I would be more interested in explaining to them the different ways in which a DNR order may be carried out. I can apply this information into my practice by becoming more conscious of the options that I explain to patients. Each choice may be different for every patient, and as such, I should treat them as individuals. Even when patients share similar ailments, they may not always make the same choices. Therefore, it is important, as a medical health professional, for me to treat each patient based on his individual circumstances and on the individual choices he is making. I can also apply the information from this article to my clinical practice in the sense that I now have the opportunity to become more patient-centered and more evidence-based. In the current medical practice where there are so many available treatments for patients, this article will help emphasize rational and client-centered approaches to treatment.
I have learned from this article that it is important for me to note that policies which automatically suspend DNR orders may not always adequately address a patient’s right to self-determination. In these instances, therefore, it is important for me to encourage preoperative review with my patients and with the other members of the health care team. By reviewing the options with the patients, it may be possible for these patients to opt for medical interventions which will make their lives comfortable. I have also learned that my viewpoint as a medical health professional may often be totally different from the patient’s. Therefore, it is important for me to give a chance to the patient to express not just his thoughts, but more importantly, his feelings on the matter of his care. The varying responses of the patients to similar questions point out how patient’s decisions and feelings may entirely be different from other patients. It would, therefore, not be prudent for me to make assumptions on the medical care and the medical choices of my patients. It is still important for me to discuss with each patient, all possible medical interventions and choices available to them.
It is also important for me to assess how I initiate the conversation with the patient when DNR orders are involved. It is more important for me to let the patient initiate the discussion on the issue and his options in relation to his DNR order. This will help bring a purer and a more strict application of the Patient Determination Act of 1991. As a medical health professional, it is again important for me to be open to how the patients view these DNR orders in the preoperative period. During the preoperative setting, it is important for me to distinguish between resuscitative efforts in the perioperative period and those done during the postoperative period. Both instances require a thorough and clear discussion with the patient. In the clinical practice, the lines should be clearly drawn in order to protect the patient’s life and to safeguard his rights.
Reference
Clemency, M. and Thompson, N. (1997) Do Not Resuscitate Orders in the Perioperative Period:
Patient Perspectives. International Anesthesia Research Society, volume 84, pp. 859-864 Read More