US hospital morgue management

elkpark · Dec 24, 2014

What on earth is the "morgue stuff"? Do you mean morgue "staff"? I don't know that there is a rule; there are often good reasons why a body remains on a hospital floor for some length of time before being removed to the morgue (typically, family coming to see the body, and it's nicer to do that in the hospital room than down in the morgue). Often, bodies aren't going to the morgue, they are being picked up by a funeral home. The post-mortem care is typically done on the floor before a body is sent to the morgue, and it may take a while to get that done, depending on the other priorities on the floor.

Why are you asking?

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 24, 2014

I do believe there is a time limit for when a body must be taken to the morgue, but I think it may depend on a lot of factors and state law. There is no rule across the board for every situation of when a body is remitted to the morgue. I think it also has a lot to do with the circumstances of the death in some cases, too.

For example, when my grandmother passed the morgue wasn't even involved. She went straight to the funeral home because she was in hospice, we knew she would pass soon, and the arrangements had been made with the funeral home days before.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Dec 24, 2014

hello
if one person died in a american hospital, how long should the morgue stuff come and receive the body? Is there some rule if the morgue stuff don't come in time?
appreciate your quick reply!
Thx

I need more information. Every state has their own rules and regs. I do not know what you mean by "morgue stuff".

How the post mortem care is performed depends on whether it is a coroners case to not.

I need more detail.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 24, 2014

This is a foreign nursing student, so.....even odder. OP, is this a personal situation, or are you working through an NCLEX question?