Every patient that gets admitted to a hospital is, by default, a full code. That means if their heart stops beating or their lungs stop breathing, emergency resuscitation teams will rush in to save 98 year old grandma who wants every thing done. "Of course, why wouldn't she?" Grandma hasn't been in the upright position for 3 years, but somehow, doing CPR and cracking all her ribs in a horrifying assault is considered standard of care to be demanded by families who need grandma's social security check to make their boat payment every month.
On the other hand, some patients and families understand the limitations and fragile nature of human life and rightfully demand doctors and nurses to not take out their daily aggressions on grandma's decomposing body by allowing a natural death when that day comes. They ask that an order be placed in the chart to allow a natural death (often written as do not resuscitate (DNR) and or do not intubate (DNI)) when that day comes. These patients and families understand the reality of the human body.
And then there are the patients who know what they want, but have a hard time articulating their needs, as this medical someecard helps to explain. I once took care of a crazy chick who didn't want to be incubated. I don't blame her. She wanted me to write an order for Do Not Incubate, but I was too chicken to do it. I didn't want some nurse crying fowl on me. I told her I would not allow a Do Not Incubate order on my watch and that if she needed incubating I was going to personally order a rapid sequence incubation on her and consult the poulmunologist to assist with her cares. Make sure to check out these other great patient quotes and sayings!
On the other hand, some patients and families understand the limitations and fragile nature of human life and rightfully demand doctors and nurses to not take out their daily aggressions on grandma's decomposing body by allowing a natural death when that day comes. They ask that an order be placed in the chart to allow a natural death (often written as do not resuscitate (DNR) and or do not intubate (DNI)) when that day comes. These patients and families understand the reality of the human body.
And then there are the patients who know what they want, but have a hard time articulating their needs, as this medical someecard helps to explain. I once took care of a crazy chick who didn't want to be incubated. I don't blame her. She wanted me to write an order for Do Not Incubate, but I was too chicken to do it. I didn't want some nurse crying fowl on me. I told her I would not allow a Do Not Incubate order on my watch and that if she needed incubating I was going to personally order a rapid sequence incubation on her and consult the poulmunologist to assist with her cares. Make sure to check out these other great patient quotes and sayings!
And a few words of advice for nurses out there. Lethargy is a loaded word for doctors. If you don't think the patient needs incubating, please choose a different word, as this ICU someecard helps to explain.
