I. SCOPE
This standard contains guidelines for employees to follow when a patient is obviously deceased or has been legally declared to be deceased by a competent authority. It was promulgated to:
A. Establish guidelines to assist employees in determining whether resuscitation efforts should be undertaken.
B. Provide guidelines to follow when a patient is obviously deceased or has been legally declared to be deceased by a competent authority.
II. GENERAL A. For the purpose of this standard a competent authority shall mean a physician, a justice of the peace, or an official from the medical examiner’s office. (This definition will vary by state.)
B. Employees shall treat the body of a deceased patient with care and dignity regardless of the patient’s age, gender, race or sexual orientation or the circumstances surrounding the death.
C. …show more content…
The friends and family employees of the deceased patient shall be treated with the utmost tact and sensitivity. Employees shall be of assistance to them when ever possible.
D. On determination that a patient is deceased in accordance with the provisions of Section III, the body shall not be disturbed and the scene shall preserved until the arrival of a law enforcement officer or other competent authority.
E. Employees shall endeavor to return their company or unit to service as soon as possible.
F. It shall be the general policy of the department to decline transporting the body of a deceased individual unless special circumstances warrant.
III. RESUCITATION GUIDELINES
A. The decision to begin resuscitation efforts shall be based on the company’s protocol for therapy. As a general rule, resuscitation efforts shall begin unless one or more of the following conditions exist:
1. The patient is declared to be deceased by a competent authority.
2. A law enforcement official declares the incident to be a crime scene and is willing to take full responsibility for preventing the resuscitation
This standard contains guidelines for employees to follow when a patient is obviously deceased or has been legally declared to be deceased by a competent authority. It was promulgated to:
A. Establish guidelines to assist employees in determining whether resuscitation efforts should be undertaken.
B. Provide guidelines to follow when a patient is obviously deceased or has been legally declared to be deceased by a competent authority.
II. GENERAL A. For the purpose of this standard a competent authority shall mean a physician, a justice of the peace, or an official from the medical examiner’s office. (This definition will vary by state.)
B. Employees shall treat the body of a deceased patient with care and dignity regardless of the patient’s age, gender, race or sexual orientation or the circumstances surrounding the death.
C. …show more content…
The friends and family employees of the deceased patient shall be treated with the utmost tact and sensitivity. Employees shall be of assistance to them when ever possible.
D. On determination that a patient is deceased in accordance with the provisions of Section III, the body shall not be disturbed and the scene shall preserved until the arrival of a law enforcement officer or other competent authority.
E. Employees shall endeavor to return their company or unit to service as soon as possible.
F. It shall be the general policy of the department to decline transporting the body of a deceased individual unless special circumstances warrant.
III. RESUCITATION GUIDELINES
A. The decision to begin resuscitation efforts shall be based on the company’s protocol for therapy. As a general rule, resuscitation efforts shall begin unless one or more of the following conditions exist:
1. The patient is declared to be deceased by a competent authority.
2. A law enforcement official declares the incident to be a crime scene and is willing to take full responsibility for preventing the resuscitation