I experienced my first code at 0435 today. I have been a nurse for just over a year. I work on the medical floor in a "small hospital" I was having one of those steady nights all shift long anyway - no time to take a break, chart or anything. Telemetry called and said to get to the room ASAP so the charge and I and the 2 techs raced to the room. There she was slumped over and blue as can be. Luckily, my charge nurse has 30+ years of nursing experience and knows what the hell she is doing, because I was scared to death and couldn't function without someone telling me what to do. Seemed like forever for the code team to get there, although I know it was only about 3 minutes.
Since it happened I have doubted every choice I have made in the last 4 years. I felt so helpless and unsure of myself. I had to wonder if I made the right choice coming into nursing.
I know it takes time and you get more comfortable with things, but I couldn't even remember the basics. What were some of your responses to your first codes? Am I alone????
do you have ACLS or PALS? Just taking a class and pretending to be in a code situation made me more confident. (still not anywhere even close to comfortable in a code situation)
Also...say to yourself a zillion times a day...AIRWAY BREATHING CIRCULATION...Does your pt have an airway? always start with airway...
Truly excellent advice. When I was first a floor nurse 20 yrs ago, I was about 6mo out of school and I decided to take ACLS. No one on my unit had ACLS and at that time, ACLS was incredibly hard to pass. I took it, passed and about 1wk later, someone coded on our floor. I felt so much more comfortable with the emergency and it was all b/c of running through the scenarios from the ACLS classes. So that is a great suggestion and there is a reason why ABC's are used to make resusitation easy. Good luck.
I experienced my first code at 0435 today. I have been a nurse for just over a year. I work on the medical floor in a "small hospital" I was having one of those steady nights all shift long anyway - no time to take a break, chart or anything. Telemetry called and said to get to the room ASAP so the charge and I and the 2 techs raced to the room. There she was slumped over and blue as can be. Luckily, my charge nurse has 30+ years of nursing experience and knows what the hell she is doing, because I was scared to death and couldn't function without someone telling me what to do. Seemed like forever for the code team to get there, although I know it was only about 3 minutes.
Since it happened I have doubted every choice I have made in the last 4 years. I felt so helpless and unsure of myself. I had to wonder if I made the right choice coming into nursing.
I know it takes time and you get more comfortable with things, but I couldn't even remember the basics. What were some of your responses to your first codes? Am I alone????
I am assuming you are a floor nurse. Does your floor have a code response team or are you expected to be the medication nurse. Also is there a debriefing after. If you are the only nurse I feel for you. Being an ER nurse who responds to all codes, I am comfortable with the procedure but I watch the floor nurses and they are completely discombobulated. It does not matter how long they have been there. If you do not do it regularly and know the team you work with, it is scary as heck. But congrats on the pt making it that too is rare. you obviously did all the right things
Some codes go well others don't that is the way of life. Don't blame yourself
Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.
OH NOW! Come on..it was your first! You should have seen me on my first code! LOL! And I was trained by paramedics and fire paramedics! LOL! Oh I was a wreck, so many things going on in my mind, and no absolutes...that tweeked me to no end!
It was an elderly neighbor actually...they called us instead of 911 (hubby is a paramedic, we live in a small town!). We get there and I knew...I think..what I should be doing...but oh my! I brain 'tooted' bad! I had to be quided! (the paramedics knew it was my first...have razzed me ever since..LOL!).
Sadly..the one thing I remember most...which actually was something no one noticed and I was complimented is the fact..when he fell from the dinner table...he hit his head on a sharp corner..but was NOT bleeding! There was less than a dime of blood for a 3 inch head lac!!!! Ummmm kinda tells ya he was gone before he even fell!
We couldn't save him..but you know what..with all the running around in that house with all sorts of people...I comforted the wife, and did the what they call "small things" that made the family so thankful! You know what..that COUNTS!
My next code was on my own..UHGGGGGGG..but since I went through one...I wasn't as terrified! In fact..I did well once I got over that first one!
The thing that helps me in codes...brutially honest as it is....IF a person is not breathing or has no pulse...oh they are DEAD! So what you do after is a bonus...just do your best! AND trust me..a half guess from an RN is better than no guess or action at all!!!!!!!!!
Congrats on your first!!!! It is that one that is the hardest!
Don't worry it seems like the first time you will be doubting yourself but trust me it gets easier. Just like the nurse of 30 years experience she had her first code and might have doubted herself at one point don't worry. How ironic that as I was writing this passage and at the Physical Training track we get a asthma patient with an attack and lost consciousness. She is fine now so we transported her to the hospital.
I remember my first code 21 years ago. the secretary pulled me into a room and said "Mary needs help"! Mary and I just graduated 4 months ago. I go into the room and Mary is standing over the patient, and I ask what's going on, and she yells, "he's not breathing"! So i tell her go get the head nurse! She just stands there and says "No pulse, No respirations". So i yell, "tell someone to call a code"! She doesn't move , but contiues to say "No pulse, No respirations", and I am jumping on the bed to give mouth to mouth (this was 21 years ago). The secretary threw another nurse into the room who was brand spanking new like us and I yelled at her to call a code and there's Mary standing there saying "No pulse, No respirations, No pulse No respirations, No pulse No respirations" I swear to God I will never forget that no pulse no respirations thing. Don't know who she thought she was telling, because there sure wasn't anyone to record because noone had as of yet CALLED THE CODE! I sure couldn't fault her because i myself was in a blind panic. The code team came and he went to ICU and made it. It's funny how we react, and how time seems to stand still. Now it's a piece of cake, especially when it's not your own patient. I will recommend, that if you're a floor nurse: make sure the crash cart is immediatley brought to the room, and learn how to connect the leads and turn the moniter on, start BLS if needed, and DON'T leave when the code team arrives. The code team doesn't know anything about this patient and they will have questions for you. You did fine and will continue to do fine.
skipaway
502 Posts
Truly excellent advice. When I was first a floor nurse 20 yrs ago, I was about 6mo out of school and I decided to take ACLS. No one on my unit had ACLS and at that time, ACLS was incredibly hard to pass. I took it, passed and about 1wk later, someone coded on our floor. I felt so much more comfortable with the emergency and it was all b/c of running through the scenarios from the ACLS classes. So that is a great suggestion and there is a reason why ABC's are used to make resusitation easy. Good luck.