The nurse, licensed practical nurse, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who is not an autonomous nurse practitioner shall have the authority to pronounce death in accordance with such procedural regulations, if any, as may be promulgated by the Board of Medicine; however, if the circumstances of the death are not anticipated or the death requires an investigation by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, such nurse, licensed practical nurse, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse shall notify the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the death and the body shall not be released to the funeral director.
This subsection shall not authorize a nurse, licensed practical nurse, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse who is not an autonomous nurse practitioner to determine the cause of death. Determination of cause of death shall continue to be the responsibility of the attending physician or autonomous nurse practitioner, except as provided in § 32.1-263. Further, this subsection shall not be construed to impose any obligation to carry out the functions of this subsection.
This subsection shall not relieve any registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner who is not an autonomous nurse practitioner from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred for failure to follow statutes or Board of Nursing or Board of Medicine regulations.
Va. Code § 54.1-2972