A nurse is caring for a client who has gone into cardiac arrest. The client's chart indicates refusal of life-sustaining measures in a living will signed 10 years ago, but a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) prescription has not been written by the provider. Which of the following actions by the nurse is appropriate?
Contact the provider for instructions regarding a DNR.
Consult with the client's family regarding resuscitation efforts.
Comply with the living will and let the client expire naturally.
Call a code because a DNR prescription has not been written.
The Correct Answer is D
A. Contacting the provider for instructions could delay immediate resuscitative efforts, which are required in the absence of a DNR order.
B. Consulting with the client’s family may not be effective in an emergency, as the living will is a legal document, and family members cannot override it without a DNR order.
C. Complying with the living will and letting the client expire naturally would be inappropriate without a formal DNR order in place.
D. Calling a code is the correct action because, legally, resuscitative efforts must be initiated in the absence of a written DNR order from the provider, despite the existence of a living will.
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