Healthcare Documentation: An Interview with Katie Novak, R.N.

This Side of the Grass

On today’s episode of This Side of the Grass, I am so happy to have Katie Novak, Registered Nurse, share her expertise on healthcare documentation. She is here to provide clarity on decisions and forms that often are needed at end of life, including Health Care Directives and the POLST.

A “Health Care Directive”, prepared by an attorney, is a legally binding document that helps the provider to know what your wishes are, but more importantly, who can make decisions should you be incapacitated.

A “POLST: Provider Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment” is for individuals that are older or have diseases or conditions, and this form allows nurses to NOT administer treatment at the patient’s request, because it is ordered by a doctor. This is signed by the patient or surrogate (i.e. Power of Attorney), as well as the doctor/provider. Read more about this form and how to obtain it: National POLST patient site

Other topics discussed today include: What is your code status? What is palliative care? What is CPR? What do DNR and DNI mean?

We reference the May 30, 2024, episode of ‘This Side of the Grass’ with attorney Steve Messick, who talked briefly about Health Care Directives. Listen to it again (or for the first time!) here: This Side of the Grass: "The Legal Side of Dying: An Interview with Attorney Steve Messick"

If you have a topic or guest idea, I’d love to hear from you! To reach me, send me an email: [e-mail], or find me at “This Side of the Grass” on Facebook OR Instagram!

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