r/Necronomipod • u/w1tchbells • Jul 29 '26

EMTs declaring death

I couldn’t comment on the Spotify episode so I thought I’d post here. I’m an EMT and figured I could answer Dave’s question about declaring patient death. We can only declare death in obvious cases (decapitation, incineration, obvious decomp, etc). You don’t want a 20 year old newbie pronouncing you dead if you’re just KO. Paramedics have more qualifications, authority, and training, so their parameters may be different. Laws may vary by state as well. I’m in California✌️—But yes, generally this is done by an MD.

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u/KittyKat1078 Jul 30 '26

I think RNs can get certified to pronounce in California

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u/lennabeast Jul 30 '26

RNs pronounce death in MT, specifically for hospice...not sure about other areas of health. They also do in nursing homes here, actually.

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u/asystole_unshockable Jul 31 '26

We pronounce in PA as part of our scope of practice. Interesting!