Are CNAs allowed to call family members about impending deaths?

[chaki]

Someone online wrote about a day back when they were a CNA, and they said that they were watching the patient die and monitoring their progress so that they would be able to call the family member and notify him that their relative was about an hour away from dying.

After reading that, all I could think is 'wow this is a BS story.' I think that because I used to be a CNA, and we weren't responsible for contacting family members ever, nor were we qualified to judge when someone was 1 hour away from dying.

So I wanted to ask you guys what you think. Is this a made up story or does it sound legit?

I messed up the poll by giving 5 slots I just wanted yes or no options.

[Sour Lemon]

Someone online wrote about a day back when they were a CNA, and they said that they were watching the patient die and monitoring their progress so that they would be able to call the family member and notify him that their relative was about an hour away from dying.

After reading that, all I could think is 'wow this is a BS story.' I think that because I used to be a CNA, and we weren't responsible for contacting family members ever, nor were we qualified to judge when someone was 1 hour away from dying.

So I wanted to ask you guys what you think. Is this a made up story or does it sound legit?

I messed up the poll by giving 5 slots I just wanted yes or no options.

That's not enough context to say one way or the other. I can think of situations where it would and would not be appropriate. As for how close someone is to death, that's a guess for anyone at any level ...but it can be an informed guess.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Sounds like BS to me. I can't imagine any circumstances under which a CNA would be permitted to estimate a time of death or call a patient's family.

[Sour Lemon]

Sounds like BS to me. I can't imagine any circumstances under which a CNA would be permitted to estimate a time of death or call a patient's family.

Don't some work as care givers in private homes? I can imagine a DNR patient in a private home in a situation like this one.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

You have a point. I was thinking about CNAs working in a hospital, LTC, hospice or assisted living facility.

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I want to meet the person who can tell that someone is going to die in 1 Hour.

I have had pts that I swore would not make it to the end of my shift last a week. And those I thought would be around for another day or two pass in the next hour.

[Eris Discordia BSN, RN]

I think with so much care being done in the home, particularly in rural areas, well...I do think its plausible that a CNA, particularly if acting as the primary giver of care, would be put in that position by a family for a DNR/DNI patient.

Of course we all know that scientifically no one can pinpoint an accurate timing of death. But having grown up in a rural community in the Appalachian mountains, yeah, I can see this situation happening. Resources are scarce out there and a lot of folks don't end up with home hospice care; too far out, the terrain is too rugged, whatever reason...they are very hard to staff. Rather, they can have an aide to tend to ADL's and keep an eye on things for a fraction of the cost of a nurse. Even outside of an agency, they will hire a local person with that certification to do some private duty under the table.

If this were Myth Busters, I'd rule it "plausible".

[verene, MSN]

It may be plausible it may not be; I haven't read the post in question. As a CNA working in a hospice facility there were definitely times it was appropriate for me to call a family and the RNs I worked with may have even delegated that call to me, but not for things like impending death. The RNs I worked with would call a family if they suspected death to be imminent and knew it was important for family to be present at time of death.

I'll say it's a solid "maybe." In my work setting a CNA wouldn't have made that kind of call, but I can envision that there may be work settings where it could have been possible.

[mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I]

I respond to the word 'allowed' with show me a policy that says they can't. I'm sure one doesn't exist at my hospital and therefore I think they are 'allowed' to do so, although they don't do it very often.

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

I confirm the reality of situation. ALFs and private care houses in poor/rural areas employ CENAs or even "caregivers" with no licenses and zero education (and no written policies as well, BTW) and these people call families if they are told to do so by, for example, visiting hospice/home care RN, or just because that's what they feel like.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Keep in mind that HIPAA wasn't around forever, so this story has a chance of being true...though this is more for the "contacting of family members" part, not the "CNA being qualified to forecast imminent death" part.