was this really cause of death?

[dcnballmom]

one of my management team from work ( which happens to be an LPN like myself) has the habit of when one of my residents expire always checks to see when their last BM was - or if they have cardiac problems, GI problems, skin problems, blood glucose problems - anything at all her reasoning is lack of adequate bowel movements - I lost 2 of my residents in one week and her reasoning was " well they needed to crap " - what a great thing to say to a unit nurse that has cared for these people for years - does anyone out there have any enlightenment on this ? - it is kinda comical but serious also, especially when she tells family members this information too

[TazziRN, RN]

Your facility's risk management needs to be informed asap. She is putting the facility at risk for multiple lawsuits from families who might, in their grief, actually believe this. Not to mention the bad rep these families are going to pass around......"Don't send your mother to XYZ facility, people there die when they don't poop."

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

LOL...cause of death...fecalstasismortum rt sigmoidsticture aeb lack of poop. Oh yeah, see that on death certificates all the time! LOL!

It is also why when we code folks we try to have them poop too? LOL!! Okay compressions starting..and get that enema up there...so we have set up..lets go people, we have to get this poop out! Okay pump the legs..faster folks we are lossing them...digital stim quick, I need 30 cc's of MOM stat and some prune juice 120 cc's IV push.... OKAY CLEAR!!!!!!! LMHO (laughing my hinie off!). Yep code bluish brown! LOL!!!!!!!

[chris_at_lucas_RN, RN]

A nurse can NOT diagnose death or reason for death..that is an MD deal big time and for good reason!

Ummmm, an RN can pronounce (and therefore "diagnose") a death.

And LPN/LVN cannot.

Might just be Texas but it is in our nurse practice act, I believe.

[Antikigirl, ASN, RN]

In Oregon we can NOT pronounce death, we can only give physical data to describe death...of course you can always get away with things in certain facilities like nursing homes or assisted living facilities where you are the senior most medic in a facility under the good sam law...

However, for a nurse to save themselves from crossing that line here, we simply say "extreme failure to thrive aeb lack of pulse and breathing, no bloodpressure, unresponsiveness, pupils non reactive to light, greyish skin tone and rigidity." I have had to use this a few times...or you just call EMS and they will pronounce.

This keeps the nurse safe from any lawsuit that can come and say the RN misdiagnosed and could have saved them. With detailing the physical symptoms there is no doubt in a court of law...

At least that is what Oregon, and as I believe Washington does...we have had lots of suits around these parts from money hungry family that want nothing more than a profit from death..and the lawyers that sway them into it! Heck...the comercials for 'wrongful death' suits are on TV all day long!

Sad huh?

[crissrn27, RN]

RNs here in NC can pronounce too. I always documented no pulse, BP, etc and got an order from the doc to send to nursing home. Never mentioned the word dead, or died etc. Don't know if that would have saved me if something had happened, but gratefully that never happened:smackingf

[CHATSDALE]

i would let her know on no uncertain terms that she was not to mention to family members her pet dx

[cardsRN]

this is one of the most hilarious (and frightening) things i have heard in a long time. thx for the laugh, and as other posters have said- talk to your boss and risk management asap. this lady should really not be talking to grief stricken families about her ummm... theories.