quick question....

[jenpan]

Hi all

Doing a little research into nursing, and I was wondering if nurses ever call a time of death, or if that is something only a doctor does. Also, is there such a thing as "time of birth"? Does that get called/recorded by a nurse?

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

Many states allow RNs to determine death and that includes time. In our state they are to sign death certificate if they pronounce.

Usually for births that I have been involved with, the MD is not facing the clock so uses nurse time of birth.

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

In the nursing home two nurses verify that there is no pulse, resps, or BP at a certain time. We notify the health department, MD, and funeral home. I don't know about a time of birth.

[nightmare, RN]

The answers would be yes...and yes.

We can verify a time of death which ,once the person is certified by a doctor is taken as time of death. Time of birth is also recorded here.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I work in Texas, where RNs are allowed to pronounce death.

[Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN]

I work in Illinois and RNs call time of death here too. Not sure about birth tho! :) Ivanna

[HopeItWorksDNP]

In my ER, usually hours after the code, when the doc is finishing up his paperwork, he says, "Nurse Nancy, what time did I pronounce?" I provide him with the time I recorded the code ending, since he never actually says, "time of death 2132" and usually doesn't remember when it ended. He usually just says "that's it" and then asks us for a time later, so I guess we do call time of death.....

[HR_LPN]

I am unsure about TOD for TN; but I call TOB in EVERY delivery I'm in. The doctors are usually too busy clamping the cord or something like that to pay much attention to the clock. Hope this helps!

[ShayRN]

I work inpatient Hospice and we call TOD all the time.

[queenjean]

Two RNs verify death here (actually, I think only one has to be an RN, one can be an LPN) through absence of vital signs. The physician officially releases the body (usually with a phone call) and calls time of death on the death certificate from the nurse's notes.

At the births that I have attended, the RN was in charge of noting time of birth of baby and placenta, and the midwife or physician used this in his/her notes later for the official time of birth.