This District has a statutory duty to protect the health of all students enrolled in the District. [IC 33-512 (4)] Medical personnel who are employed by the District or whose medical services are contracted by the District also have statutory duties to adhere to certain protocols. Based on these statutory duties this District's medical personnel or health care providers will honor a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order or identification presented by or on behalf of a student who has a terminal condition, unless an exception applies.
In the event a DNR order or identification for a student enrolled in this District is presented to district personnel by the student or his or her parent/guardian, a copy of the order and/or a notation that the student has DNR identification, will be placed in the student's educational record. Nursing staff will also be notified and provided a copy of such order or notation. The individual presenting the DNR order or identification will be informed of this policy.
In the event emergency medical services personnel are called by this District to assist a student, district personnel knowledgeable of a DNR order or identification will make reasonable effort to inform the medical services personnel of the DNR order or identification. Medical personnel or health care providers employed or contracted by the District or contracted to provide medical services, if on site at the time of an emergency, will comply with the DNR order or identification and provide comfort care, unless an exception applies.
A DNR order may be disregarded by medical personnel or health care providers in the following situations, pursuant to Idaho Code Section 56-1027: 1) If the health care provider believes in good faith that the order has been revoked; or 2) to avoid verbal or physical confrontation; or 3) If ordered to do so by the attending physician.
Definitions:
- “Comfort care” means treatment given in an attempt to protect and enhance quality of life without artificially prolonging that life.
- “Do Not Resuscitate order“or “DNR order” means a documented directive from a licensed physician that emergency life-sustaining procedures should not be administered to a particular person.
- “DNR identification” means a bracelet or necklace issued to an individual consistent with a valid DNR order which is in place. Typically, such bracelets or necklaces will also contain the words “comfort ONE.”
- “Emergency medical services personnel” means the personnel of a service engaged in providing initial emergency medical assistance, including, but not limited to, first responders, emergency medical technicians, advanced emergency medical technicians, and paramedics.
- “Life-sustaining procedure” means cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or a component of CPR.
- “Medical personnel or health care provider” means any person licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by law to administer health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession, including emergency and other medical personnel.
- “Terminal condition” means an incurable or irreversible condition that, without the administration of life-sustaining procedures, will, in the opinion of the attending physician, result in death within a relatively short time.
[IC 56-1020 through 56-1035] (11-28-06)