Nursing Students’ Views about Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders: Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

“Do Not Resuscitate” (DNR) order is one of the challenging issues encountered in end of life care. This study aimed to determine the effect of education about DNR on the views of senior nursing students. Students, who selected elective course of palliative care and received education about DNR formed the intervention group ( n = 106) while the students who did not select the lesson were in the control group ( n = 107). Data were collected using a questionnaire. It revealed that the students who had education about DNR agreed with the positive statements about DNR more than the control group. Also, intervention group students had a high agreement DNR should be a part of vocational training for health professionals. It is important and necessary to focus on the special role of nurses when a DNR order is given, and nursing education raised the awareness and views about DNR according to the data from this study.