Death of a pt

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While i was at clinicals i seen that Nursing Assistant are the ones that clean the dead body once they pass ?

Is this in the scope of a Nurse Assistance, & how excactly do you do it ?

:up:

I nearly had this happen on my clinicals too. One lady was having many heart attacks and her BP was through the roof. The aide left me with her to keep monitoring BP and went to get the nurse. I thought the lady was going to go for sure, she was talking to people and gesturing, having conversations with no one in this world. She was still there at the end of our clinicals, though one other group from my class did have someone die on their shift.

It's happened at my work now a few times. I don't mind cleaning up the bodies and straightening things up at all. What is really REALLY hard for me is the dying process itself. We want it to be quiet and in their sleep and sometimes it is. But other times, it's very noisy and prolonged and stressful to everyone :(

One lady was dying and couldn't swallow and was in constant pain. But still yelling out for hours at a time for water or why was she dying like this or please let me die :( Good thing her room mate and most of the others are deaf, that's incredibly hard to listen to. And even if you were with her, put an ice chip in her mouth, she still hollered. THe worst was 'you don't love me, why don't you give me water!' We were, she just didn't know it. That one was tough.

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omg i didn't know you had to do that if they die...

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It's really not bad or gross or scary. Bodies are still bodies and do things, lots of people don't know that. They will pee/poop a little as the muscles relax. Air moving makes sounds too and twitches can happen. But it's perfectly safe for you to be around them and help clean things up.

Funny story about my grandma that I just learned... Apparently she is buried with someone else's teeth :) My aunt couldn't find hers at the time (she hadn't been wearing them for awhile) so the nursing home gave my mom an unclaimed set they had around. I would never have known if mom didn't tell me that story :)

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Specializes in LTC.

What really bothers me is when someone is actively dying and you want to be with them, but you've got all your other people to take care of. I wish they would call one of the per diem people to come in and take over when that happens.

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What really bothers me is when someone is actively dying and you want to be with them, but you've got all your other people to take care of. I wish they would call one of the per diem people to come in and take over when that happens.

If someone is dying and it's not going to be that long (you gotta eyeball it but usually you can tell) then I would say the priority IS to sit with them (assuming no one is there already like family or whatnot).

There is no reason anyone should have to be alone when they die. Not everyone likes to do it but I've had a few patients where I've sat with them holding their hand as they die. I can tell you the patients AND family members appreciate it greatly.

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

I've sat several tlimes with patients who were actively dying and no one was with them. The other nurses on the floor knew this and pitched in to do my meds on my other patients. After death, providing post mortum care is done with total dignity. Really nothing to be afraid of.

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wow, I didn't realized CNAs did this. I guess it makes sense...washing the body used to be a really big deal spiritually, something the family did...hmmm.

my mom's dad died of COPD this summer and she stayed with him through the night and was there when he died. she said it was a privilege to witness it. one of the nurses came in and she asked them to close his eyes and mouth - they couldn't get his mouth shut!

she told this to my dad and brother and both of them just burst out laughing...we were all sad, but as long as I've known him grandpa would never stop talking...he'd just keep right on going even if somebody left the room. he was never senile or anything but he loved to talk and would just go on and on. the whole family thought the CNA's trouble closing his mouth was hilarious and the story got told again and again...helped us grieve, I think.

second time everybody laughed was when, at the funeral home, they were playing a bunch of old jazz music his generation liked, and "I'm in the mood for love" came on...it was just so profoundly inappropriate that everybody thought it was really funny.

I guess even the really awkward stuff can help people sometimes.

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Yes it is the Ca's job but a good RN will help if they have time. I do not believe on doing it by yourself that is too much to ask especially at 11:15 and your shift ends at 11:30(that always happens!) Good luck!

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I did postmorteum care on a patient. All we did was wash the patient up, shave his face, comb his hair, and put a clean gown on him. Then a nurse came in and tied up his hands and feet with string. After that we put the patient into a body bag and on top of gurney. This patient died alone, even though his family had come to see him the day before and one of his children stopped by earlier in the day. It made me very sad the patient was alone when he passed. A while back this one patient was dying and her daughter did not leave her for anything. She stayed with her mother until she died later on that night. Unfortunately, most people don't have that. I agree with Suzy and Stanley about being with a patient before they die. I see it as a sign of respect.

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Specializes in med-surg, geriatrics, adult homecare.

I just want to add that post mortem care is not the sole responsibility of the CNA. While the CNA geneally does this,sometimes it is necessary for a nurse to help. I am a LPN who once had a CNA afraid to do post mortem care, but who more than meet exspectations otherwise. On a night shift with limited staffing I stepped in with another CNA and we did postmortem care together. In nursing there is no such thing as " not my job ," as nursing is a team effort. I do not think you will find in a LPN or RN job discription,that only CNAs do post mortem care. On the other hand you would not pull an LPN or RN away from nursing duties only they can legally perform,if there are CNAs,available.

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Specializes in LTC.
This patient died alone, even though his family had come to see him the day before and one of his children stopped by earlier in the day. It made me very sad the patient was alone when he passed.

Some people prefer to die alone.

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wow! i didnt know CNA's did that type of stuff.

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