Arrival Time for Death Pronouncement

[cshelly12]

I'm wondering what is the average/longest time it takes you to get to a death pronouncement? I am a fairly new hospice nurse, and work for a large company that is currently pretty well staffed, and feel like I have good support. I was stuck in a crisis visit today, and had another one of my patients die in the meantime. There was some miscommunication, and no one called the patients wife back for over an hour after she left the message letting me know he passed, and we did not have a nurse out there for close to two hours. I have been feeling horrible about this all day, and cannot get it off my mind. I really don't know what I could have done differently, as it wasn't really an option to leave the patient I was with. Just wanted to get some thoughts on these situations, and what y'all do.

[Chedmonds]

If it's not after-hours and something like that happens, I generally step out and call the office and see if there's anyone available to do the pronouncement. Luckily, my manager will generally take care of that type of PRN visit if we are tied up and can't make it out. If it is an after-hours situation and I'm on call, I will call our back-up on call person who is usually a CNA to go and sit with the family and perform PM care before I can make it out there, that way there is someone to support the family at least. Sometimes our Social a worker or Chaplain will go out in the meantime while the nurse is tied up as well.

My office is particularly helpful in dispatching people when PRN visits like that pop up, but if it's an After Hours situation it can get pretty stressful! You'll get the hang of how to manage it!