The Canadian nurse
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What is to be learned from this situation? First, although Mr. Lockwood's consent for the DNR order is not needed, there is an obligation to communicate openly and clearly with the family and ensure that Mrs. Lockwood's advance directive is respected. ⋯ Often you cannot act on these decisions because of the environment. If the policies are not in accord with the CNA Statement on Resuscitative Interventions, you should collaborate with colleagues to revise the CPR policy and practices. By doing so, you will be meeting your obligation to help foster and support a practice environment that promotes ethical, competent and compassionate nursing care.
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Your patient complains of chest pain. Within minutes he collapses in cardiac arrest. If you are a nurse working in a non-critical care area, where advanced medical care is not readily available, your immediate response is probably to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). But is CPR enough? Should nurses be able to initiate more advanced care?
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It's Nursing Week and you are at a booth in a busy shopping mall. After spending a couple of hours talking with people, answering questions and taking blood pressure readings, you start to sip a well-earned cup of coffee. You glance down the mall and observe a middle-aged man suddenly clutch at his chest and fall to the floor. ⋯ You are an experienced nurse who wants to help and yet, lurking in the back of your mind, there is the nagging fear that you could be sued. You wonder if are you legally obligated to stop and assist. Could you be liable if you fail to do so?