A Frustrating Code

HeartRN13 · Aug 25, 2014

In my experience with these situations, the times that things have operated in the smoothest and most efficient way depends on the physician who is running it. One in particular that made me also realize this (because yes you're right, it can be so chaotic that it's not productive), was a doctor that said minutes into it, "There are too many people and too much noise for this. Whoever is not directly relayed to this patients care or is not required to be here needs to step out please, thank you." It was one the most impressive things I've seen. If you run into this in the future, maybe politely and quietly asking the doc in charge to relay this message would help. Better to ask the doc to do it, coming from anyone else, people tend to recant and take it personally.

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Aug 25, 2014

Doesn't gave to be a doc to clear out the bystanders, i've done it more than once.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Aug 26, 2014

A code in a teaching facility can quickly become a circus. The active responders CAN become impeded by these onlookers.

When you recognize this.. a loud command of " if you are not actively assisting.. leave the room"..

is the action you must take.

SeattleJess · Aug 26, 2014

A code in a teaching facility can quickly become a circus. The active responders CAN become impeded by these onlookers.
When you recognize this.. a loud command of " if you are not actively assisting.. leave the room"..
is the action you must take.

Love the cut to the chase language! Have you considered changing your screen name to Been there, done that, now I'm throwing you a lifeline?

Nonyvole, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2014

If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were talking about a code that I was on a bit ago; as codes go, it wasn't one for the textbooks except as a cautionary tale. This patient also had ROSC, but there was much talk afterwards about how it was so...messy. Staff members who worked on that unit didn't know where things were, for example, or how people didn't truly clear out when they were told to. (There was more, but that was more along the lines of personal interpretation of things, so I doubt that it had any bearing on anything.)

However, when it comes to things like code blues, we also need to try to remember that not everybody is mentally prepared for the situation and the first instinct can be to freeze, to run around in a blind panic, or to stay and watch because of how rare codes may be for that particular unit especially in smaller hospitals. And that last reaction is one that I tend to associate with rubbernecking on the freeway and how some reality shows have become so popular. People want to see what happens or happened.

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Aug 26, 2014

If I didn't know better, I'd say that you were talking about a code that I was on a bit ago; as codes go, it wasn't one for the textbooks except as a cautionary tale. This patient also had ROSC, but there was much talk afterwards about how it was so...messy. Staff members who worked on that unit didn't know where things were, for example, or how people didn't truly clear out when they were told to.

THIS!!

delphine22 · Aug 31, 2014

And that last reaction is one that I tend to associate with rubbernecking on the freeway and how some reality shows have become so popular. People want to see what happens or happened.

And these people tend to forget that there are other patients on the floor, some of whom may need some nursing care too.

If it's not my patient, and there are at least two or three other people standing around that look like they can help, I make myself scarce. I head to the opposite end of the unit and peek at patients and answer call lights.

paramedic-RN · Sep 5, 2014

Yea I hate it when people flip out during a code, it's like 'hello they're dead it can only go up from here.' Not to brag but I"m always cool as a cucumber during a code I don't yell or run, I still say please and thank you but there's always one nurse/tech/MD that's just jumping out of their skin. It's so annoying.