Which document is needed to inform and protect healthcare personnel who respect the client's wishes regarding resuscitation?

Which document is needed to inform and protect healthcare personnel who respect the client's wishes regarding resuscitation?

• A. Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order
• B. Living will
• C. Durable power of attorney
• D. POLST

Answer: (A)

In resuscitation matters, having a clear medical order that directly communicates the patient’s wishes to the care team is essential. A Do-Not-Resuscitate order is the document that explicitly tells clinicians not to perform CPR if the patient’s heart or breathing stops. It is placed by a clinician after a discussion with the patient or their surrogate and becomes part of the medical record, so staff across settings know the exact instruction to follow in an emergency. This direct instruction protects staff by aligning actions with the patient’s autonomy and removing ambiguity about whether CPR should be attempted. Living wills describe general preferences for future care but aren’t always immediately actionable or accessible in urgent moments. A durable power of attorney designates someone to make health care decisions if the patient can’t speak for themselves, but it does not automatically specify a CPR status. A POLST form also provides portable medical orders about resuscitation and other treatments, often used for seriously ill patients, but the DNR is the specific document whose sole purpose is guiding and protecting resuscitation decisions in real-time.

In resuscitation matters, having a clear medical order that directly communicates the patient’s wishes to the care team is essential. A Do-Not-Resuscitate order is the document that explicitly tells clinicians not to perform CPR if the patient’s heart or breathing stops. It is placed by a clinician after a discussion with the patient or their surrogate and becomes part of the medical record, so staff across settings know the exact instruction to follow in an emergency. This direct instruction protects staff by aligning actions with the patient’s autonomy and removing ambiguity about whether CPR should be attempted.

Living wills describe general preferences for future care but aren’t always immediately actionable or accessible in urgent moments. A durable power of attorney designates someone to make health care decisions if the patient can’t speak for themselves, but it does not automatically specify a CPR status. A POLST form also provides portable medical orders about resuscitation and other treatments, often used for seriously ill patients, but the DNR is the specific document whose sole purpose is guiding and protecting resuscitation decisions in real-time.