I have asked at every ACLS renewal if we can have a "crash cart petting zoo," where we play around with the meds, learn WHICH ONES ARE WHERE, and which ones require syringes vs abboject, etc. I think it's crazy that they don't do this. They say it's a cost issue, blah blah blah, whatever. I think it's dumb that the first time a nurse reaches into that cart is when someone's life is on the line.
I even had people send a nurse running during a code to get a suction setup, without realizing there is a suction machine right on the cart!
Are crash carts set up the same everywhere in the US? Is there maybe an online resource that shows the layout, if they are all the same. I'm talking adults obviously, not the peds carts.
Crash carts are checked and signed off as an 11-7 responsibility. When I was a new nurse I obsessed about the layout and contents of the crash cart and I'm glad I did because every time we hire a new nurse and I have to orient them one of the first questions I ask is "can you show me where the crash carts are?" Usually I get a blank stare followed by, "crash cart?" Every unit, and every units crash cart holds the same things. Ekits of meds are on every unit, in the DON office, and on the crash carts themselves
Our carts aren't locked but the ekits are. If we ever just cracked open an ekit to familiarize ourselves w the contents we would probably get read the riot act as even an opened yet UNUSED ekit gets sent back to our pharmacy and the facility gets charged.
Ours get checked every night on night shift. I just started working at this place and even though it's annoying to check every day, it has been helpfully in knowing where stuff is. At my previous place on employment, we checked the carts each week.
aortas
50 Posts
Crash carts are checked and signed off as an 11-7 responsibility. When I was a new nurse I obsessed about the layout and contents of the crash cart and I'm glad I did because every time we hire a new nurse and I have to orient them one of the first questions I ask is "can you show me where the crash carts are?" Usually I get a blank stare followed by, "crash cart?" Every unit, and every units crash cart holds the same things. Ekits of meds are on every unit, in the DON office, and on the crash carts themselves