Ethics Of Mortality

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The Ethics Of Mortality: DNR Orders in Patients Who Attempt Suicide
Background
During one of my clinical rounds at Mahelona Hospital, I encountered a patient who stated that she was upset with her quality of life. She went on to explain that a few months prior she was in a car accident. It was a catastrophic wreck that required her to be intubated, held in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for about a week, and unable to walk without assistance. However, she feels she shouldn’t have survived the crash, or lived past that point, as she had a Do- Not-Resuscitate order. This order, also know as a DNR, is a medical order written by a doctor that instructs healthcare providers to not perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event the patient …show more content…
By countermanding the DNR order in the interest of providing a better outcome for the patient, it allows time for the patient to be treated for their mental illness. This is similar to when a patient is involuntarily hospitalized for their self-destructive behavior. This can result an improvement in mood or depression, leading to no further wishes of committing suicide. However, DNR laws do not provide clear guidance for clients who are mentally ill (Cook, 2010). Because of this, the author Geppert concludes that, the patient should only be resuscitated if they have a likelihood of recovering from the event …show more content…
Not in all cases are the DNR obtained as part of a suicide plan. The patient’s acquirement of a DNR order can be an isolated choice from their inclination to commit suicide. Questioning the validity of the DNR orders at that time can lead to more harm than benefit. The National Center of Ethics argues that by doing this, patients result in receiving CPR against their wishes, causing the individual to suffer physically and psychologically (Geppert,

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