Pocket Protocols: Notifying Survivors about Sudden, Unexpected Deaths

Step-by-step protocols to use when notifying survivors of unexpected deaths, in-person or by telephone.
Professionals use this booklet to remind them of the specific steps they want to take when notifying families, friends, and communities of a sudden death, in-person or by telephone. Based on the many protocols in Grave Words: Notifying Survivors about Sudden, Unexpected Deaths, it includes protocols for healthcare professionals, prehospital (EMS) personnel, chaplains, educators, family friends, prison officials, and military personnel. Special protocols are included to notify children and parents, deal with grief and post-traumatic stress, and request organ or tissue donation. Particularly useful are the “helpful” phrases to use and the “unhelpful” to avoid when talking with survivors.