Taking Patients down to the Morgue

Specialties Hospice

Published

So, recently the policy changed to have to take patients down to the morgue. What the hell is that ********? Anyone else have to do that?

Specializes in Critical/Acute Care, Burns, Wound Care.

No background in English/writing/drama. Just passionate about this. Thank you though.

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cheezwhizz90, very good post. I too feel it is a privilege to care for the patients of mine that have passed on. It is the final mystery and I feel I have provided dignity and respect for their final journey.

To the previous two posters, really? That's what you got out of cheezwizz's post? Dark humor and sarcasm? wow.

I never said anything about dark humor, nothing "dark" about it. But i enjoyed reading it... like a mini novel. Yes REALLY

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I've always to help take the deceased down to the morgue.

The exceptions are for cases that the funeral home will be coming up to the floor to get the deceased quickly. There are several religions and cultures that do not permit the body leave the floor, and there will be a "guardian" at the bedside until the funeral home picks up the deceased.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
cheezwhizz90, very good post. I too feel it is a privilege to care for the patients of mine that have passed on. It is the final mystery and I feel I have provided dignity and respect for their final journey.

To the previous two posters, really? That's what you got out of cheezwizz's post? Dark humor and sarcasm? wow.

Humor is subjective. So, yes, I found some of the descriptions akin to dark humor. For example, "if the deceased is female, then at least one of the staff members have to be a female to deter necrophiliacs I guess." OR "I disagree with this practice; everyone should be exposed to the reality of death's icy grip..."

The OP wrote the post in such a way that we are hearing her/his thoughts. Some of the thoughts are actually dark and humorous even though he/she was not trying to be so. I personally have had similar thoughts as the OP so I am not judging him/her. Also, if you did not find the description to be humorous, that is your opinion.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

We take ours to the morgue, too. Sometimes an autopsy is indicated anyway, but in any case we're just not able to keep their bed until the burial agency arrives. We generally don't go alone though, and never just send the CNAs to do it. Our trip to the morgue involves some uphill ramps, so it's not a safe job for one person

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This post has taken an odd turn.

In the facility where I used to work nurses took bodies to the morgue. I didn't mind it, the part I really don't like is bagging the body. It feels dehumanizing to me to put someone in a plastic bag (although it is necessary to avoid a messy situation).

In the past, sercurity had taken bodies to the morgue, but that changed when a security guard was in the elevator with the body and it sat straight up. The security guard was spooked and ran right off the elevator and right out of the hospital! A visitor reported the body in the elevator, and from then on the policy changed to a RN taking the body down.

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When I was working oncology and making lots of trips to the morgue, I noticed that the other nurse and I usually had very upbeat, lighthearted talk on the way down. We did not make jokes at the expense of the deceased, but we did do lots of laughing. I am absolutely positive that this was a defense mechanism to what we were dealing with.

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Our patients are in multiple settings, and the ones who pass at the hospital (that is our inpatient setting) do get taken to the morgue, although by hospital staff, not me. I wouldn't mind it, though. I've bathed and dressed patients post mortem, of course, and helped the funeral home at times get them on to the gurney and out to the transport vehicle. To me, it's just part of being their last nurse.

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Specializes in hospice.

I guess I've been working hospice too long, because I'm like, "what's the big deal?"

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Thank you.

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how do you make time for all of this?

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Specializes in critical care, LTC.

We keep our deceased on the hospice unit until the funeral home picks them up unless they're Organ donors

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