Fundamentals of Nursing Q 123
The nurse’s most important legal responsibility after a patient’s death in a hospital is:
A. Obtaining a consent of an autopsy.
B. Notifying the coroner or medical examiner.
C. Labeling the corpse appropriately.
D. Ensuring that the attending physician issues the death certification.
Correct Answer: C. Labeling the corpse appropriately.
The nurse is legally responsible for labeling the corpse when death occurs in the hospital. After a person dies it is important to give the family the time that they need with the body. Some family members might like to lie in bed with their loved one who has died, while others might like to be involved with washing the body. Others may not want to be there at all. Washing the body is particularly important in paediatric palliative care, as often parents feel it is a special ritual to have washed their baby after they are born, and it is the same after they die. It is important to discuss rigor mortis with families as people are often unaware of this.
Option A: She may be involved in obtaining consent for an autopsy. There are considerations regarding care and preparation of the body after someone dies. Traditionally this task was performed by families, but nowadays much of the preparation of a body is done by nursing staff or undertakers. The required procedures are often included in an organizations’ procedures manual or there may be local requirements regarding the preparation of a body.
Option B: The nurse may be responsible for notifying the coroner or medical examiner of a patient’s death; however, she is not legally responsible for performing these functions. Depending on the location of the death, the nurse would contact the medical examiner to notify them of the death, as well as the physician and other clinicians who were involved with the patient. The nurse can also contact the funeral home for the family as requested.
Option D: The attending physician may need information from the nurse to complete the death certificate, but he is responsible for issuing it. A doctor must certify the death. This involves completing a medical certificate of the cause of death and stating what the cause of death was. This should happen as soon as possible. If there are any unexpected or suspicious circumstances, or if the cause of death is not known, the doctor may not be able to issue a death certificate without talking to the coroner (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland) or procurator fiscal (Scotland). The doctor completing the certificate may wish to talk to you as part of their standard checks.