Ohio legislation would allow registered nurses to pronounce death

[The Straight Story]

Ohio legislation would allow registered nurses to pronounce death


COLUMBUS, Ohio — Recently proposed legislation would expand the power of registered nurses in the state and allow them to determine and pronounce death.

House Bill 314, which was also proposed at the tail end of last year’s legislative session, is meant largely to address doctor shortages in hospitals and hospice locations, according to staff for Ohio State Rep. Peter Ujvagi, the Toledo Democrat who sponsored the legislation. There’s widespread concern about the lack of primary care physicians — particularly in rural areas. Adding this power to nurses would avoid prolonged waits for physicians to arrive and pronounce death.

About 20 states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin, have similar legislation.

Ohio’s version is one of a handful of nursing proposals in the legislature that try to expand the role of nurses in Ohio. Nursing groups think the bill with the best chance of passage is House Bill 206, which would allow advanced practice nurses to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances: highly addictive drugs like oxycodone and morphine. That bill, like others dealing with expansion of nurse’s power, remains in committee.

http://www.medcitynews.com/index.php/2009/10/ohio-legislation-would-allow-registered-nurses-to-pronounce-death/

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. I think this is a good idea.

After all, it's the nurses who call the doctors to "pronounce."

They know when the patient's gone...

[AllentownJake]

2. It helps with Hospice

My dad was pronounced dead by the Hospice Nurse. It saved us having to have the coroner to come to the house.

[Mind_your_head]

3. Sounds like a very very bad, even dangerous, idea to me. eom

[AllentownJake]

4. Nurses spend more time with patients than Doctors

I think registered nurses can tell whether or not someone is dead or not.

[liberaltrucker]

5. My ex is an RN

On more than one occasion, she's "nudged" the
attending doc that the patient is, indeed, dead.

She's also competent to administer Class II pain
killers when indicated. I'd trust her, professionally,
with my life if the shit hit the fan.

If you MUST know, she's my ex because she was a bad choice
for a spouse. As I was for her. In no way does that
diminish her professional competence.