Advance directives and do not resuscitate orders: nurses' knowledge and the level of practice in school settings

A descriptive, correlational study was conducted among school nurses to ascertain their knowledge of Advance Directives (ADs) and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders, current AD and DNR practice in the school setting, and personal AD and DNR attitudes and plans of study respondents. A convenience sample of practicing school nurses was surveyed using an author-designed instrument. Results indicated a need to increase knowledge regarding ethical principles and advance directives. Eleven percent of the respondents reported school district policies in place regarding advance directives/DNR orders. Seventy-eight percent of respondents indicated they have no personal advance directives in place, but 76% would not wish to be resuscitated when facing terminal illness. These results suggest ambiguity regarding issues of death and dying.