#19: What Would Your Doctor Do?

Doctors do a lot for us. On the other hand, they also experience and see a lot of suffering on a day-to-day basis. Caring for others in a professional medical setting is no easy task. This might be why many doctors have DNRs for themselves. A DNR, or “do not resuscitate” order, is a directive about whether or not the person in question wants life-saving treatments performed in a life-or-death situation.

A 2013 survey of 1,081 doctors found that about 88% of them did not want a “no code” order in place for themselves. Before you start spiraling around conspiracy theories, let’s think about why many doctors would voice this opinion. Many doctors see some pretty traumatic stuff, including end-of-life care and traumatic injuries. Perhaps many of them see suffering in others and don’t want their families to experience the same thing.