Registered Nurse Verification of Expected Adult Death: a response to situational challenges

摘要

The Registered Nurse Verification of Expected Adult Death (RNVoEAD) guidance and competencies (Hospice UK, 2019) were initially developed in 2017 to address delays in the verification of death, primarily out of hours and in community settings. It was based on UK law and associated clinical practice in the UK, but it can be adapted to suit other countries. The authors' overarching aim was to upskill registered nurses (RNs) so they are able to perform this important clinical task and act of care, and ensure the family are adequately supported in a timely manner once the patient has died. The RNVOEAD was updated in February 2019, in response to a national survey evaulation that examined its impact on clinical practice. The aim of the guidance was to provide recommendations for good clinical practice and to provide guidance for local institutions to consider how it could be adapted for or adopted in their own organisation. The guidance is not intended to be prescriptive in nature, but it provides some advice to enable RN staff to extend their skills. As authors of the guidance, we have received numerous enquiries relating to specific challenging situations that clinicians have encountered. In an attempt to address these, we have identified the common themes and provided a suitable response below.