First "Code Blue" experience

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Specializes in PCU, Critical Care, Observation.

Today I had my first "code blue" experience on the med-surg floor. A young man had a seizure while eating lunch & he stopped breathing. His mother came out of the room screaming for help. I can still hear her voice in my head. The nurses went running to the room along with two of my classmates & I (the rest of the students, including our instructor were at lunch). I didn't go into the room at first as there were sooooo many people running to that room. Instead, I tried to comfort the mother & walked her away from the room. Watching her cry made me feel like crying, but I was able to maintain my emotions. After they stabilized the young man, I went into the room. It was amazing to see so many people working on him in such a small room, yet they didn't seem overcrowded & each one was doing what they needed to do. Even though I wasn't able to physically help out with stabilizing him, the adrenalin kicked right in. It definitely was an eye opening experience to know a life was being saved.

Anyone else have any experience with a code blue?

Specializes in Critical Care.

I want to commend you. You comforted the mother!!!! That's a great thing you did.

Noney

Originally posted by Noney

I want to commend you. You comforted the mother!!!! That's a great thing you did.

Noney

Yes! Too often, in the course of providing great clinical care to the patient, we forget how traumatizing thi is for the family members. You may not have "physically helped the patient" but you helped in a wonderful, necessary way!

Specializes in PCU, Critical Care, Observation.

Thanks! She was standing in the hallway crying so I walked over to her & got her away from the room since there were so many people & machines going in & out of there. She wanted to call family members so I took her over to a phone, got her some tissues, a chair to sit down on & rubbed her back. Another nurse came along a few minutes later & started hugging her & the mother began to sob even more. I did get a compliment later that day from another nurse for focusing on the mother. It was simply a natural reaction to want to comfort her.

You should feel very good about what you did. I wouldn't doubt that she will remember what you did for her for a long time to come.

Specializes in Float Pool, ICU/CCU, Med/Surg, Onc, Tele.

So, Jennerizer, did the patient survive the code or not? ((hugs)) to you as well, because regardless of the outcome and your caring for the mother, YOU experienced a stressful situation as well!

*edited* Duh, I see above now, where you said a life was being saved... sorry, I guess there *are* silly questions after all, lol.

Specializes in home health, LTC, assisted living.

My experience was not with a patient, but with an elderly lady who fell in a store while I was shopping. You are right, the adrenaline does kick in, I stayed with her while she was on the floor waiting for the ambulance trying to calm her down. I have never been the type to jump in before, but since my CPR class I feel more confident. It is a nice feeling to help someone in distress. Good for you!:nurse:

As a student, I have yet to come across a "true" code blue...I've heard them over the pa, but they were on different floors. The 3 code blues I've seen personally kind of made me mad. They all involved PT. They walked little Mrs. 96-year-old around the floor a few times, brougt her back to the room, she faints....they try to arouse her, she doesn't respond, they call the code blue....but why it makes me so mad, is that I watched the whole thing twice...not ONCE did they check the pulse! They were trying to arouse her by shaking her shoulders gently! So here we had 900 nurses and such running to the room, by the time they get there (1.3 seconds) the lady has responded. But not before they shout the code all over the hospital 5 times. Shouldn't the PT folks check the pulse before calling all that??

OK..done venting..=0) Congrats Jennerizer!! You may have not been active with the pt, but know you've made a lasting impression on the mother. She will always remember the day her son "coded" whether he made it or not. And no doubt she will remember you for being so caring!!

Jules

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.

Yes, hats off to you, Jennerizer !

All too often the family is left struggling with emotions while staff is busy working on the immediate problem.

We must also remember to shield other patients from witnessing a traumatic event, as well as tending to their own needs.

Ya done good ! :kiss

Jenn

You did a great thing. So many of us get so involved in the action that we forget about the family. You will be remember by the mother and the rest of the patient's family as the one who helped "Mom" when she needed it most. Moments like these come in nursing and we need to learn to hold onto the glow that helping gives us. Put this memory away someplace where you can find it easily. When the going gets tough (and it will) remember why we came into nursing in the first place. To Help.

God Bless

Ginger :balloons: :balloons:

Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
Yes! Too often, in the course of providing great clinical care to the patient, we forget how traumatizing thi is for the family members. You may not have "physically helped the patient" but you helped in a wonderful, necessary way!

Ditto ! Kudos to you for keeping a level head during a stressful time, and thinking of the FAMILY'S needs.

I'm sure this helped both the mother AND you. :)

G

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