Code Status: Clearly Communicating the Nuances of Emergency Care Options (HLOL #272)
[https://www.healthliteracyoutloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/headshot1-150x150.jpeg]Jason Kirchick MPH, MSN, RN, CNL, MEDSURG-BC is an inpatient Hematology and Oncology nurse at the University of Vermont Medical Center where he cares for patients with blood cancers and solid tumors at every stage of illness. Before nursing, Jason worked as a firefighter and EMT, a background that gave him an intimate understanding of life-threatening emergencies. Jason holds a Master of Public Health, a Master of Science in Nursing, and is completing training as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. As a trained death doula, Jason is deeply committed to patient and family-centered care. This commitment is shaped by his own experience surviving septic shock and multi-organ failure which left him in a medically induced coma for two months and ultimately drew him into nursing.
Listen as Jason Kirchick and Helen Osborne discuss:
* Code Status. A patient’s preferences for emergency medical care if their heart or breathing stops.
* Nuances of code status options and why it is important to “lift the veil” about what these options really are like.
* Factors that can affect understanding of these options including health literacy, emotions, and expectations as portrayed in popular media.
* Strategies and recommendations to help patients and their families more clearly understand their code status options.
More ways to Learn:
* VitalTalk [https://vitaltalk.org]. Trains clinicians in evidence-based communication skills for serious illness conversations, including goals of care and code status. Their free mobile Tips App provides quick reference guides that clinicians can pull up in real time before entering a difficult conversation. Their one-page Quick Guides [https://vitaltalk.org/quick-guides/] cover specific scenarios and are ideal for printing and sharing on a unit.
* AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd Edition [https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/improve/precautions/index.html]This free, publicly available toolkit from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality contains 23 practical tools designed for busy healthcare settings. It covers strategies like teach-back, simplifying written materials, and making care transitions easier to understand. The toolkit is built on the principle that clear communication should be the default for every patient, not just those identified as having low literacy.
* AMA Journal of Ethics: Discussing Code Status with Patients and Their Families [https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/discussing-code-status-patients-and-their-families/2006-09]This case-based article from the American Medical Association walks through a realistic scenario in which a code status conversation goes poorly and explores what could be done differently. It remains one of the most accessible introductions to the complexity of these conversations and is a worthwhile read for clinicians at any level of experience.
* ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium) [https://www.aacnnursing.org/elnec]National and international education initiative developed by City of Hope and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The curriculum covers communication, pain and symptom management, ethical issues, and care at the end of life. ELNEC Academy [https://elnec.reliasacademy.com] online modules are available and are appropriate for both practicing nurses and students looking to build confidence in palliative and end-of-life care.
* Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End [https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/54097/when-loved-one-dying]by Atul Gawande (Metropolitan Books, 2014) Gawande, a surgeon, examines how medicine often fails patients at the end of life by prioritizing treatment over quality of life. The book challenges clinicians and families alike to ask better questions about what matters most. It remains one of the most widely read and influential books on aging, dying, and the limits of modern medicine.
* When a Loved One Is Dying: Conversations About Care, Connection, and Coping [https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/54097/when-loved-one-dying]by Maureen Groden, RN (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2026) Written by a hospice nurse and educator with over 30 years of experience, this book uses real patient and family stories to walk readers through the emotional and practical realities of end-of-life care. Groden clarifies the differences between palliative and hospice care, addresses common fears and misconceptions, and offers concrete guidance for families facing serious illness.
Health Literacy from A to Z: Practical Ways to Communicate Your Health Message, Third Edition [https://healthliteracy.com/health-literacy-from-a-to-z-third-edition-practical-ways-to-communicate-your-health-message/], by Helen Osborne. The chapter “Decisions About Treatment, End-of-Life Choices, or Whether to Participate in Clinical Trials”” is especially relevant to this podcast episode.
Read a transcript of this podcast. [https://healthliteracy.com/2026/06/01/code-status-clearly-communicating-the-nuances-of-emergency-care-options-hlol-272-2/]
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