A nursing student who is caring for a dying patient asks the nurse, "How will we know when the patient has died?" The nurse explains that the patient will be considered legally dead when

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The diagnosis of death is based on brain death; therefore, death has occurred when the patient has irreversible loss of all brain functions, including brainstem functions that control respirations and brainstem reflexes. The other descriptions describe other clinical manifestations associated with death but are insufficient to declare a patient legally dead.

A Nursing Student Who Is Caring for a Dying Patient