CPR after rigor mortis

Hello All, Do u know where I can find information referring to Long term care scope of practice for RN's? What is the policy on starting cpr after rigor mortis set in? Thank you:)

[ERNurse752, RN]

We don't start CPR on someone when rigor has already set in, since there's no point in trying bring someone back to life who's already been dead for that long. What happened that you're asking? I'm curious now.

Long term care scope of practice may vary by state, so you can check with your state board of nursing...other than that, I'm not sure.

[HealinghandsRN]

Well, our nurse educator is teaching that u start cpr on anyone who is not a dnr "NO MATTER WHAT" She said "I don't care what anyone thinks how long they passed, if no DNR start cpr. Personally that does not sound correct to me. But If I am going to stay in this type of setting I need to learn the regulations for myself and not just take someone elses word for it.

We don't start CPR on someone when rigor has already set in, since there's no point in trying bring someone back to life who's already been dead for that long. What happened that you're asking? I'm curious now.

L...ong term care scope of practice may vary by state, so you can check with your state board of nursing...other than that, I'm not sure.

[Blackcat99]

:rotfl: Start CPR on someone who has rigor mortis??? :rotfl: That's hysterical :chuckle :rotfl:

[stevierae]

:rotfl: Start CPR on someone who has rigor mortis??? :rotfl: That's hysterical :chuckle :rotfl:

No kidding! Is the nurse educator whose "policy" is "If no DNR start CPR" brain-dead herself? :uhoh21:

[Salty1]

:rotfl: Start CPR on someone who has rigor mortis??? :rotfl: That's hysterical :chuckle :rotfl:

Only if the patient's name is Lazarus.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Rigor mortis doesn't even set in until a person has been dead for AT LEAST two hours.......WTF is this teacher thinking??!! .

[HealinghandsRN]

Scary to work in a facility in which the nurse educator doesn't know what she is talking about. I found some information that says--If u know a person has been dead rigor mortis etc.....performing cpr is illegal and instead can be charged with abusing a deceased person. interesting huh?

Rigor mortis doesn't even set in until a person has been dead for AT LEAST two hours.......WTF is this teacher thinking??!! .

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

It sounds like the educator is just trying to CYA in case a family tries to sue.

[donmomofnine]

We don't provide CPR at our facility, but when we did I always thought it was ironic that an RN could pronounce someone dead, yet some of my staff felt we still had to jump on them and do CPR!

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

It sounds like the educator is just trying to CYA in case a family tries to sue.

Yep.

Wow.. that is the most insane thing I've heard in awhile ! Frightening. :stone

[fuerza757]

During a new hire orientation the staff educator mentioned that cpr should be perform on any patient without a DNR order, even if Rig had set in ??

At another facililty a patient coded sometime during the night was found in the AM with rig....CPR was not performed per nurses judgement call. Plus postural rig....made it impossible to obtain an airway, all joints where contracted...?

If it is a facilities policy how can it be performed ?

Isn't there some kind of standard that protects us against this practice ?

We don't provide CPR at our facility, but when we did I always thought it was ironic that an RN could pronounce someone dead, yet some of my staff felt we still had to jump on them and do CPR!