CPR should be initiated for an individual experiencing pulmonary or cardiac arrest if there are no specific contradictions, like the presence of a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. If there is no DNR order, not taking resuscitation measures is subjected to judicial and ethical discretion. If there is proof that there is a chance of a patient surviving, failure to initiate CPR can lead to a suit for a criminal offense. As such, health institutions are obliged to offer all the essential equipment to perform CPR (Ciric et al., 2017).Ethical Aspects of Resuscitation in Nursing.
If a DNR order is present, nurses and other health professionals are not legally empowered to perform CPR even when they are aware that the case is medically futile. According to Kharis (2016), for critically ill patients, CPR might work only partially or might not function, leaving the brain of the patient damaged or in a worse medical condition. In such events, some patients prefer receiving medical care without invasive efforts. Fritz (2017) emphasizes that CPR is an invasive medical procedure that is not intended to be provided to individuals who have an irreversible condition. Do not resuscitate decisions offer a scheme of communicating when a patient should be given CPR, either because it has minimal chance of success or because the patients do not want it. They are crucial schemes for safeguarding patients from harm.Ethical Aspects of Resuscitation in Nursing.
Action as a Resolution of the dilemma
I would resolve the dilemma by reaching a consensus with the patient and her family about the care and treatment that would be beneficial to the patient. I would provide the patient and her family detailed information about the drawbacks, and benefits of CPR. Although the patient has the autonomy to make the decision not to be resuscitated, I would explain its implications and attempt to emphasize its outcomes. If the patient understands the implications of withholding CPR, I would require her to sign the DNR order even if it is against the will of her relatives.Ethical Aspects of Resuscitation in Nursing.
Conclusion
Do not resuscitate decisions are commonly made in healthcare but they can be a source of ethical cancer. Do not resuscitate decisions offer a scheme of communicating when a patient should be given CPR, either because it has minimal chance of success or because the patients do not want it
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