Job Description
Scope of Position:
Death is a crisis in the lives of families and friends. To help them during this time, the Decedent Affairs staff will answer pages related to deaths and potential organ donors as appropriate. They will provide comfort and support to the family after they learn of the death and make decisions about the body. They will approach families for autopsy consents and funeral home information and facilitate processes with the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) regarding potential organ donors. The goal is to develop a Center of Excellence in the care of families who have a loved one who dies.
Position Summary:
The Decedent Affairs staff is responsible for coordinating death paperwork, keeping records related to all deaths, notifying the autopsy service of completed consents for autopsy, and interacting with families of patients who have died to facilitate the timely completion of paperwork. They will work with physicians to get appropriate paperwork completed in a timely manner. They will follow up with families to resolve any outstanding issues associated with a death.
The Decedent Affairs staff will identify patients in the hospital who have a severe brain injury and meet criteria to notify the OPO. They work collaboratively with medical, nursing, other departments, and OPO in the determination of brain death of brain injured patients and any process or family concern issues as needed regarding donation.
They will utilize a computer to input/retrieve data to produce monthly and annual reports associated with OSU Medical Center deaths including the production of autopsy reports and organs, tissue and eye donation reports. They will help with the Memorial service as needed. Some on-call time may be necessary.
Minimum Education Required
Bachelor's Level Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in nursing with considerable critical care experience required. Knowledge of organ, tissue and eye donation process required. Knowledge of organization at OSUMC required. Experience with the design, implementation, and evaluation of training programs required. Experience working with employees of multiple levels required. Strong facilitation and presentation skills required.