Friday, March 10, 2006

Brunswick County Will Not Honor DNR Orders

Listening to the Morning Line yesterday (if I'm not mistaken) they where talking about how the Brunswick County school board here in NC has put forth policy that they will not honor a DNR from a family, doctor or lawyer in regard to a terminally ill child.

As I was posting this I found an article on the subject at News 14 Carolina.

Citing its duty to protect the health and safety of all students, school officials in Brunswick County are poised to adopt a policy that rejects parents' resuscitation orders for their terminally ill children.

The policy given initial approval this week by the local school board states that the district will neither accept nor honor do-not-resuscitate orders nor withhold emergency care.

In cases of life-threatening emergency, it says school officials will use emergency medical services as warranted.

The policy follows a directive from the state Department of Public Instruction that stems from a state law adopted in 2001. That legislation, sponsored by Sen. William Purcell, D-Scotland, provides immunity to doctors, nurses and other caregivers who honor do-not-resuscitate orders.

The state education department last year asked school districts to develop policies that address the treatment of terminally ill students in school, though the request did not specify what that policy must be.

All school systems have until July 1 to develop a policy.

This is pretty much what was said by Dick Lee on the show. That this is a response by that 2001 law and that all school systems in NC will have to come up with a policy by July. What I don't get is why. The law protects doctors, nurses and caregivers that honer the DNR order. It seems to me that while at school the school is the caregiver and is protected by this law. I don't see how not honoring a DNR is the right outcome. As a parent of 3, I can't imagine how hard it would be to sign a DNR for one of my kids. Just signing that paper seems to be a tramatic event. I just don't see what right a school board has in not honoring that.


posted by David at 9:56 PM :: Permalink ::

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