Decedent Care Representative

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About Duke University Hospital

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States. The largest of the four Duke Health hospitals with 1062 patient beds, it features comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

Work Arrangement - Onsite

6:00 am - 2:30 pm week one

8:00 am - 5:30 pm week two

10:30 am - 7:00 pm week three

On the designated 4th weekend rotation, employees will work:

• Monday & Tuesday: 8-hour shifts
• Saturday & Sunday: 12-hour shifts

Occ Summary

Perform a variety of duties to assist families and staff regarding the disposition of all matters of decedent care.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

Coordinate with physicians and nurses to determine the appropriate time to approach the family regarding the disposition of all matters of decedent care. Meet with next of kin, and assist in completing all necessary paperwork. Arrange for body viewing as appropriate. Screen all deaths for medical examiner's jurisdiction in compliance with the state law. Request autopsy consent on all non-medical legal deaths. Complete all appropriate decedent care paperwork (i.e. all forms, documents and authorizations), in compliance with state and federal laws. Provide autopsy information to family members, medical and research personnel and others in compliance with departmental guidelines.

Act as primary liaison between Duke Hospital and funeral homes. Provide information to funeral homes, transporters, patient families, staff and security officers regarding decedent care and the hospital death policy. Release body to funeral home.

• Transport bodies, charts, and unclaimed belong to the morgue. Store and maintain the body in a cooler. Mix and prepare preservative solutions as required. Perform incisions, evisceration of the body and special dissection techniques. File, store, and retrieve tissue specimens. Assist with disposal of tissue.
• Inform appropriate organ banks or the anatomy department if consent for tissue donations was obtained. Assist the various tissue and organ banks by requesting all tissue donations at one time.
• Maintain instruments and supplies. Clean, and disinfect all suites, instruments and equipment. Perform other duties to maintain supplies and equipment.
• Maintain mortuary records and autopsy record logs.
• Assist in training and scheduling lower-level employees.
• Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

MAINTAIN INVENTORY LAB PROCEDURES STERILE TECHNIQUE

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires knowledge of basic mortuary science and communications education. principles normally acquired through two years of post-secondary

Experience

Three years of related experience to acquire the necessary skills. OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideasan exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.