Pronouncement of Death
Records the governing body’s decision on whether Agency RNs pronounce death, tells every staff member what to do when a patient appears to have died, and sets out the written policy that applies if Agency RNs are authorized to pronounce, in line with Texas Health and Safety Code §671.001.
About this policy
- Policy number
- TX-HH-CS-05
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 26 TAC §558.302
- Library
- Texas home health · 56 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 17
In short
- Agency staff never declare that a patient has died or give a time of death.
- If a patient is not breathing and has no out-of-hospital DNR order, call 911 at once.
- If there is an out-of-hospital DNR order, do not start CPR. Call the person named in the plan of care, or 911 if no plan is recorded.
- Stay with the patient, call the office at (512) 555-0100 or (512) 555-0199, and do not move the patient or remove anything.
- Write down what you saw and did, with times, before the end of the day.
What's inside
17 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (26 TAC §558.302)
- 5. What Staff Do When a Patient Appears to Have Died
- 6. Out-of-Hospital DNR Orders and Expected Deaths
- 7. What the Office Does Next
- 8. Requests Staff Decline
- 9. Alternative: If Agency RNs Pronounce Death
- 10. Responsibilities
- 11. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 12. Staff Training
- 13. References
- 14. Related Policies and Forms
- 15. Approval
- 16. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Do your RNs pronounce death? Show me the written policy and who approved it.
- Walk me through what your aide does if she finds a patient not breathing.
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