Nurses and Defibrillation

[bobnurse]

It was not long ago when defibrillation was limited to physicians only. One day, nurses said, "why cant we defibrillate, instead of waiting for the doc's to arrive" The docs said are you crazy...Then not long after, they decided to let the medics perform defibrillation out of hospital, and it worked...Patients lives were saved prehospital....Nurses said, "why cant we defibrillate, instead of waiting for the code team to arrive" The docs said are you crazy!! Now the janitors and normal lay people are providing defibrillation prehospital (AED's and PADs System). Floor nurses are saying,"why cant we defibrillate". The docs said are you crazy????

This is a story we tell in regards to defibrillation in the hospital. It amazes me that we allow lay people to defibrillate in the community, but not the hospital trained (ACLS) nurses to provide the same care (floor nurses).

For every minute that passes, you lose a 10% chance of survival in regards to V-fib/V-Tach arrest. This gives you around 10 minutes to restore circulation before death has occurred. So my question is: Why cant floor nurses defibrillate before the physicain/code team arrives? Your looking at realistically a 2-4 minutes response time, after the patient is found. This gives the patient optimally an 80-60% chance of survival if the code is called at the onset of arrest. If the floor nurse could defibrillate, your looking at an 80-90% chance of survival........If you think about it, you have a better chance of survival in some instances going into arrest in front of Dillards at the mall than on the rehab floor of your local hospital.

All Defibs sold today come with an AED mode? So why arent floor nurses allowed to perform BLS? Many of you thought i was going to say ACLS, but remember defibrillation is a BLS function.

I just wanted to get your thoughts and opinions. Also, what if a family member went into cardiac arrest, and defibrillation didnt occur for say 7 minutes post arrest due to 1. Waiting for a code team, then 2. Code team came and reassessed, then defib 7 minutes into it. Now the patient has expired. what is the hospital liability?

Thanks for your replies

[steelcityrn, RN]

You make some excellent points. A.E.D.'s should be on every floor , maybe every nurses station. They are simple, all personal working would be able to apply it, as long as everyone falls under a good semaritan act, Im sure what the hospitals are lagging on is what they always drag their feet on...IS IT A LIABILITY, HOW MUCH WILL IT COST US AND HOW MUCH CAN WE MAKE....I swear, nursing is one of the last professions let that does not put money before care.

It was not long ago when defibrillation was limited to physicians only. One day, nurses said, "why cant we defibrillate, instead of waiting for the doc's to arrive" The docs said are you crazy...Then not long after, they decided to let the medics perform defibrillation out of hospital, and it worked...Patients lives were saved prehospital....Nurses said, "why cant we defibrillate, instead of waiting for the code team to arrive" The docs said are you crazy!! Now the janitors and normal lay people are providing defibrillation prehospital (AED's and PADs System). Floor nurses are saying,"why cant we defibrillate". The docs said are you crazy????

This is a story we tell in regards to defibrillation in the hospital. It amazes me that we allow lay people to defibrillate in the community, but not the hospital trained (ACLS) nurses to provide the same care (floor nurses).

For every minute that passes, you lose a 10% chance of survival in regards to V-fib/V-Tach arrest. This gives you around 10 minutes to restore circulation before death has occurred. So my question is: Why cant floor nurses defibrillate before the physicain/code team arrives? Your looking at realistically a 2-4 minutes response time, after the patient is found. This gives the patient optimally an 80-60% chance of survival if the code is called at the onset of arrest. If the floor nurse could defibrillate, your looking at an 80-90% chance of survival........If you think about it, you have a better chance of survival in some instances going into arrest in front of Dillards at the mall than on the rehab floor of your local hospital.

All Defibs sold today come with an AED mode? So why arent floor nurses allowed to perform BLS? Many of you thought i was going to say ACLS, but remember defibrillation is a BLS function.

I just wanted to get your thoughts and opinions. Also, what if a family member went into cardiac arrest, and defibrillation didnt occur for say 7 minutes post arrest due to 1. Waiting for a code team, then 2. Code team came and reassessed, then defib 7 minutes into it. Now the patient has expired. what is the hospital liability?

Thanks for your replies