A nurse who is working with clients who have DNR (do not ...

[P68T]

A nurse who is working with clients who have DNR (do not resuscitate) orders knows that these orders:
 
  1. Are legally required for terminally ill clients
  2. May be written by the physician without client consent if resuscitation is futile
  3. Are maintained throughout the client's stay in either an acute care or a long-term care facility
  4. Follow nationally consistent standards for implementation of client interventions

Question 2

When a nurse signs as a witness on an informed consent form, she is indicating that the client:
 
  1. Fully understands the procedure
  2. Agrees with the procedure to be done
  3. Has voluntarily signed the consent form
  4. Has authorized the physician to continue with the treatment

[cassie_ragen]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: 2
If the client is unable, and there is no surrogate available to give consent, the DNR order can be written but only if the physician is reasonably medically certain that the resuscitation would be futile. A DNR order is not legally required for terminally ill patients.. DNR orders are not neces-sarily maintained throughout the client's stay because a client's condition may warrant a change in DNR status. The attending physician must review the DNR orders every 3 days for hospital-ized clients or every 60 days for clients in residential health facilities. There is no nationally con-sistent standard for DNR implementation. States have their own statutes regarding DNR orders.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: 3
The nurse's signature witnessing the consent means that the client voluntarily gave consent, that the client's signature is authentic, and that the client appears to be competent to give consent. It is the physician's responsibility to make sure the client fully understands the procedure. If the nurse suspects the client does not understand, the nurse should notify the physician. The nurse's signature does not indicate that the client agrees with the procedure, but that the client has vol-untarily given consent and is competent to do so. Clients also have the right to refuse treatment, which is also signed and witnessed. The nurse's signature does not verify that the client has au-thorized the physician to continue with treatment. It only verifies that the consent was given voluntarily, the client is competent to give consent, and the signature is authentic.