ER Doc, "I need Succ!"

[Adenosine6]

This recent TRUE story that happened 1 wk ago; thought it would be funny to my fellow RN's here.

3AM Code Blue called to M/S floor

ERMD and ER Charge respond.

ERMD about to intubate and says "I need Succ!"

M/S RN leaves and brings back socks.... (ER Doc jaw drops...)

True Story!

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

During same code I asked for an I/O drill because they infiltrated his IV because they were bolusing a litre and pushing epi in his tissue for two rounds, and no one knew what I was asking for.

Dude, an I/O drill on a Med-Surg unit? Really? Is your hospital some sooper-dooper advanced hospital that allows everyone and their mom to put in I/Os? Or just the med/surg units that don't even have code carts most of the time?

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Dude, an I/O drill on a Med-Surg unit? Really? Is your hospital some sooper-dooper advanced hospital that allows everyone and their mom to put in I/Os? Or just the med/surg units that don't even have code carts most of the time?

Even ICU doesn't have IO. There is one IO in my hospital and it is in ER...

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Even ICU doesn't have IO. There is one IO in my hospital and it is in ER...

My unit is one of three in the hospital that, by regulation, can place and manage I/Os. (The other ICUs aren't even allowed to manage field placed I/Os.) The other two units are PICU and ER. ER is the only unit that actually has a gun and the only reason that they ever use it is because they have trained EMS staff as techs.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

Our ED and ICU can place IO. ICU brings them to the code. If your code team doesn't have an IO, that is something worth considering.

[SaoirseRN]

A med surg nurse probably shouldn't have been running for the meds in this case!

[Ciale]

No. I refuse to believe the nurse came back with socks. that makes me very sad inside

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

Good thing he didn't ask for Vec. I can picture it now. The nurse is combing the halls for some poor schmoe named Vic.

"Hey, anybody seen Vic around here? Vic! Are you Vic? Where's Vic? We need Vic in here!!!".

[Sun0408, ASN, RN]

Wow, a med/surg unit in a hospital that doesn't have a crash cart?? I know LTC facilities typically don't have them but a hospital floor should.. We have at least one crash cart on every floor in my hospital, if a floor is split into two seperate units, there are 2 crash carts. Epi, fluids, calcium, amiodarone etc are all stocked as well as I/O's..In other words, the crash carts are fully stocked..

As for the OP question, Im not surprised the RN had no clue what they were talking about, RSI's are not something they deal with on a regular basis..

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

When I shadowed in the E.D. before starting, I was lost with the med names too. I didn't use succicholine, atropine or lidocaine on the med-surg floor. I definitely wouldn't have ever known what an I/O was never mind trying to find one.

I agree that a med-surg nurse was not the one to ask to get sux. It's like asking a cardiologist to do a prostatectomy.

[CodeteamB]

I agree that a med-surg nurse was not the one to ask to get sux. It's like asking a cardiologist to do a prostatectomy.

Agreed, but it's still a darn funny story!

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Codes on the ICU can be just as bad and it always shocks me because I know ICU nurses should know how to handle a code. An ER tech and I got in trouble once because we kept yelling out. IT'S IN THE CODE CART!!!!! Because our Doc would yell for something and they would take off all over the ICU to get the stuff. Hello that's what a code cart is for. Oh well. Can laugh about it now.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I am actually surprised they didn't bring an RSI box to the code, than again after this last ER I worked in, I don't think I am surprised by much anymore.