[mistydave]

Under what condition may a nurse discontinue cpr?

[Angie O'Plasty, RN]

Usually (outside the hospital) it's if:

1. The patient is revived.
2. Help arrives to relieve the rescuer.
3. The rescuer is too exhausted to continue.

[widi96]

My only additional thought would be if it is not your patient and you are not familiar with them and after CPR is initiated you find out they are DNR.

[flightnurse2b]

or in the acute care setting, CPR is stopped when the MD supervising the code decides all efforts have been exhausted and the patient is then pronounced dead.

[TiredMD]

Originally Posted by allison2008

or in the acute care setting, CPR is stopped when the MD supervising the code decides all efforts have been exhausted and the patient is then pronounced dead.

In my CNA days, one of our attendings told me, "Nobody's dead until I say they're dead. You could dig up a 2-week old corpse and dump it in the ER, but until I say they're dead, they're in asystole and you will continue compressions."

[sharona97]

Originally Posted by TiredMD

In my CNA days, one of our attendings told me, "Nobody's dead until I say they're dead. You could dig up a 2-week old corpse and dump it in the ER, but until I say they're dead, they're in asystole and you will continue compressions."

Wouldn't that be the M.D. heading the code? Sounds like a lost object from heaven using that type of language.

[txpixiedust]

I'm a AHA CPR instructor, and what AHA teaches supports the Good Samaritan Law - which can vary from state to state. The AHA website has a chart that tells exactly what is expected of you as a layperson or health care provider. Even though you are a RN, the expectations would be different based on whether you were responsible for the victims care before the injury (or need for CPR) occurred.

In general, if you begin CPR you must continue CPR! I always tell my CPR students that everything with CPR is an UNLESS or UNTIL situation.
Once you begin CPR (on someone who is not under your medical care/out of hospital)You Must Continue ...
1. UNTIL the victim begins breathing/conscious.
2. UNLESS the scene becomes unsafe (fire, cars, person w/ weapon, etc)
3. UNTIL a person of higher medical training or the EMT's arrive and take over.

Being tired is not a valid excuse (for court) to stop CPR - so be prepared to continue once you start! EMT's on average arrive at the scene 7 minutes after a call is placed to 911 - but can take up to 20 minutes depending on the area & call load at the time.

Hope that helps!
txpixiedust