Intraoperative Family Notifications

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Specializes in Perioperative First Assist.

Hello -

We just implemented a new policy where one of our circulators will notify family members if one of our aortic / open-heart patients is not doing well on the table and may not make it off (I.e., cardiogenic shock, failure-to-wean, acute coagulopathy such as D.I.C.) - they let them know what is happening and offer chaplain services. Was wondering if anyone has heard of this type of practice. As the FA, I am one of the ones that can activate the "Family Notification Protocol".

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I've been asked by the surgeon at times to go out to the waiting room and talk with the family. Not an easy thing to do. It may help the staff to have some scripting to know how to word things, along with ways to make sure they can leave the OR (even if just to the sub sterile room) so that the family doesn't overhear anything going on in the OR.

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Specializes in Perioperative First Assist.

@Rose_Queen - very helpful. Yes - we are working on a script given different scenarios. We've activated it twice now and both times the patient expired on the table. I would imagine your situations have similar outcomes.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

The 24 year old who arrested after sternal wires were in thankfully made it. Kids were in the waiting room with mom. I think I was crying with her. Others made the mad dash to ICU so family could see them. Not many actually died (officially) in the OR.

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Specializes in Perioperative First Assist.
Rose_Queen said:

The 24 year old who arrested after sternal wires were in thankfully made it. Kids were in the waiting room with mom. I think I was crying with her. Others made the mad dash to ICU so family could see them. Not many actually died (officially) in the OR.

Wow - there must have been a mad scramble to get the sternum back open for open cardiac massage - is my guess - great teamwork to crash back on bypass. 24 yo is so young!

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If this responsibility is falling on the nurses, you owe it to them and the families to coordinate training with your chaplain staff. A script is a really good start, but if it isn't done right there could be a wound on top of the loved one's unanticipated death. This is more or less a death notification before the fact.

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