Do not resuscitate: informed consent in the operating room and postanesthesia care unit

The perioperative nursing team needs clear direction regarding the surgical patient's do-not-resuscitate (DNR) status. It is unreasonable to expect health care givers to make ethical decisions at a time of crisis such as cardiopulmonary arrest in the OR or PACU. Patients maintain their right to make health care decisions even on entry into the surgical suite. Therefore, the decision to maintain or rescind a patient's DNR status must be made in conjunction with the operative consent if that consent is to be an informed consent.