Name change from DNR to AND

MurseMikeD · Jun 8, 2009

The new POLST form in California has this language on it. Way better than the old advance directives.

NeosynephRN · Jun 8, 2009

We use AND and it is very straight forward, it maintains and spells out that comfort and quality of death are very important. There are two sections one for "withdrawl of life support" and then the check box section. Families have been very positive about allow natural death, it is much more realistic and families really felt with the "DO NOT" that alot would not be done, meaning basic human cares...

nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2009

Last weekend, a family member said something about putting a PEG tube in their end stage Alzheimer's mother, and I guess the horrified look on my face made them ask what happens after people get PEG'd. I told her what I'd seen -- that end stage Alzheimer's who get PEG'd usually end up with us because they aspirate. Pt's family member wanted to know what that was. I told her that rather than the person dying naturally -- blood sugar drops, person goes to sleep, and dies after a few days to a week -- the person chokes to death on acidic tube feeding that has poured into their lungs. They die drowning, instead of drifting off to sleep.

I can't believe that the idiot MD told them that aspiration was a risk, but never told them what aspiration was....:flamesonb

rngolfer53 · Jun 9, 2009

i just read an article in a nursing journal that said the acronym dnr may be changing to and...(allow natural death). what are your feelings on this. i am thinking it will take a long time to get used to this !

praiser :heartbeat

i think it is more descriptive to patients and families, and that's a good thing.

and yea, i'll still be slipping up and saying dnr in 2018, when i hit official retirement age. :rolleyes:

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 9, 2009

What? You mean death isn't optional?