Exploration of School Administrator Attitudes Regarding Do Not Resuscitate Policies in the School Setting

Abstract

Few school districts in the United States have policies relating to do not resuscitate (DNR) orders in the school setting. School administrators are the gatekeepers of policy development. Little is known about administrator attitudes related to DNR orders in the school setting. School nurses need to understand administrator attitudes in order to facilitate DNR policy development. This study explored the attitudes of 15 administrators about DNR orders in the school setting through structured interviews. Administrators were asked their attitudes about DNR orders in the school setting and about DNR policy implementation. The majority of administrators believed that DNR policies should not be developed for the school setting because of the emotions involved and lack of administrator knowledge related to DNR orders. The majority of administrators did agree that having a DNR policy would clarify how staff should respond to DNR orders at school.