First CPR

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Specializes in Alzheimers, Muscular dystrophy.

I had to do my first CPR the other day. Sometimes I just don't understand why POA's insist on full code. This pt's Dx's... P/S lung cancer/lobectomy, Hx v-fib, a-fib, MI, CVA, TIA, seizures, noncompliance with medication regimen and a few more I can't remember and she was 87.

I got the dreaded moment where you just saw them 20 minutes ago and they were awake and alert and then an aid comes to you and says " UMM, can you come look at so and so, she looks funny". I don't even ask questions, I immediately head for said person. (funny is BAD)

Anyway she was nonresponsive, but breathing. I took about 10 secs to check for DNR or Full code (I try to memorize but she was new admit and I hadn't worked with her since she arrived and lets admit it when you work LTC it's nearly impossible to memorize them as residents and orders change so much). We got the emergency cart, then she stopped breathing and we couldn't find a pulse, so we started CPR, the first chest compression I felt her ribs break (I can not get that feeling out of my mind). Took 911 12 minutes to arrive and this was after they were told we were doing CPR. She didn't make it. Guess I am just a little bummed over the whole thing:confused:

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Sadly, you will find that in nursing you run into these types of situations frequently. I work in an ICU, and more times than I care to think about we've had to go thru the motions of a futile code just because the family members insist that we save momma. Even knowing that momma can't be saved, we still must go thru the actions and it's very very sad.

Just find comfort in the fact that you did the best you could, knowing what the outcome would be anyways.

Nurse_mo1986

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Specializes in LTC.

been there done that sister! its awful. I have a pt who is 105 yrs old..FULL FREAKIN CODE!!!! Ive coded several residents and at no time was it pleasant. My first one was the day after christmas a few years ago..it was sooo fast..he was fine and in 10 minutes he was down. He was in the floor, I think he had a massive MI, I took one look at him and knew it was a done deal..I worked him with my aides because none of the nurses would come help me. The RN on duty at the time tried to argue with me about his code status which got my aides confused on who to listen to, I told them to listen to me and there we went.

Took EMS about 30 minutes to get there and another 45 after they got there to intubate 3 x and all that jazz.

Me and my aides just cried the whole time we worked on him. I thought alot of that patient to start with and he was being discharged that week, had that not happened. He lived 2 days on a vent til his kids decided to take him off of it.

None of the ones Ive coded have actually survived without a vent.

Families usually dont understand the process of CPR unless they work in this field and sometimes thats not enough. And sometimes they know that mom or dad would not want these measures taken but decide to have it done anyway because they arent ready for them to go on to the next level.

I had a new admit several years ago and the SW was in with him and just said "do you want to be a full code or a dnr" ....just so happened I was in there too and he had no clue what that meant...I then explained the whole process to him and he said "Lord no! Im old, if its my time to go let me go. Dont do nothing to me"......wish granted.

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I had a new admit several years ago and the SW was in with him and just said "do you want to be a full code or a dnr" ....just so happened I was in there too and he had no clue what that meant...I then explained the whole process to him and he said "Lord no! Im old, if its my time to go let me go. Dont do nothing to me"......wish granted.

Holy crap! Has the social worker not been taught that this is IMPORTANT INFORMATION and must be presented SO THAT THE RESIDENT UNDERSTANDS IT?!??!? That'd be like me asking a new admit, "have you ever experienced orthostatic hypotension and/or syncopal episodes?" :eek:

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Thats the problem at my facility- the SW doesnt go into detail as to what "full code" means. Most people who are not educated at all about healthcare seem to think if we do CPR on granny, she will be fine and up baking cookies next week. I would love for them to be shown a video of actual CPR on the very old people- with sound, so they can hear the ribs break, etc.. sounds horrifying to say, but at least then they would think twice about having 99 year old granny a full code...

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