Question

The nurse is caring for a client who has just died after a long diagnosis of dementia. which nursing assessment is the priority for documentation?

Answer 1

The assessment that has the greatest importance at this stage is that of checking the pulse and the breathing, in order to ensure that the patient is really dead. If the patient is truly dead, then, it should be documented that the patient is not breathing and that no pulse is detected. This information should also include the exact time of death.