Brain death: nursing roles and responsibilities.
Nurses working in an intensive care setting must be knowledgeable about the diagnosis of brain death and its ramifications to care competently for the patient and family. The medical community has identified specific physical and diagnostic findings necessary for the determination of brain death. Brain death is an irreversible state, from which recovery has never been reported. The neuroscience nurse's responsibilities include meeting the patient's physical needs and identifying the family's needs and teaching them about brain death. Not fulfilling these responsibilities could result in dysfunctional grieving for the family and loss of a potential organ donor.
D001926:Brain Death; D006801:Humans; D009488:Neurosciences; D009732:Nursing Care; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013041:Specialties, Nursing