Do-not-resuscitate orders in the operating room

Surgery offers patients the chance to improve the quality and longevity of their lives, but surgery and anesthesia are not without risks. Patients should have the opportunity to make informed choices about the risks they take with respect to their health care. Perioperative nurses must be knowledgeable about advance directives and the implications they have for surgical care, and they must support patient autonomy by respecting the choices and decisions patients make about their care.