I have been a nurse for 2 years now and have been fortunate enough to avoid any deaths on my shift until recently. Last week I had a hospice patient with a DNR who was exhibiting Cheyne-Stokes breathing, fixed pupils, and a thick green secretion in her mouth. She also was known to pocket food- I found bits of banana pocketed in both cheeks at the time. Without a second thought, I retrieved the suction machine from the crash cart and used a Yankauer to suction the pocketed food from her cheeks and some of the green secretion around her teeth. The family was present and was very grateful and surprised by the things coming out of her mouth. The patient hung in there until the next shift at which time she expired. The next morning my new unit manager wrote me up for suctioning without a physicians order. Her MD had a standing order to suction PRN and the only Hospice orders I could locate in the chart said to D/C all previous meds, not all previous orders. Her hospice has no standing order to suction, however. This supervisor threatened my license and basically called me a lousy nurse for my actions. Am I completely wrong here?