Registered nurse verification of expected adult death: new guidance provides direction

Despite UK national guidance on care after death, it is clear that the bereaved family can experience distress while waiting for the patient's death to be verified. This distress can escalate if there is a delay in verification. Anecdotally, such delays particularly occur out of hours and in community settings. Verification of death is a clinical task and an act of care whereby the identity of the person and death is confirmed. In addition, the subsequent providers of care to the deceased, such as families, mortuary teams, funeral directors and cremation services, have their health and safety protected by the provision of pertinent patient-specific information, for instance, infection risk and implantable devices, within the bounds of confidentiality. During this time, the bereaved family may also receive emotional support and information from the skilled clinician. Registered Nurse Verification of Expected Adult Death (RNVoEAD) guidance and associated competencies have recently been developed to ensure that the registered nurses involved in the patient's care can feel confident about their responsibilities and competent in the process of verifying death. It is hoped that this guidance will help to avoid delays that may cause additional distress to grieving families. This article sets out the rationale for the guidance, as well as discussing outstanding concerns and proposals for future considerations.