Cna code blue protocol

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Hey I've been a CNA for about 4 yrs. working in long term care. I work 3-11 and I was making my last round at about 10:15p, when I walked into a pts. room to provide care to him. I called his name but he didn't answer so I walked to his bed to see that he wasn't breathing. I also listened for breathing and checked his pulse and got NO response. My first thought was FULL CODE or DNR I usually have this memorized but he was a new pt. so I wasnt at all sure. So I screamed into the hall for the charge nurse....no one came. So I had to make a QUICK decision...look for the nurse or try to save this man's life. So I ran to the Nurses station pulled his chart and saw "FULL CODE" in red letters. I picked up the intercom but couldn't use it because someone at another nurses station hadn't hang it up from the last page. So I sprinted down to the pts. room with the crash cart, turned on the call light and dragged him onto the floor and started CPR I was screaming into the hall during the chest compressions, about 2 mins later another CNA ran into the room, I screamed go and get the nurse. In about 30 sec later every nurse and CNA in the building was in the room. My charge nurse took over, his oxygen level got up to 94 and EMS came and took him away. He later died at the hosp. But that next morning I was called into the DON's office for what I thought was gonna be a "good job" speech but she actually wrote me up for "not following protocol" she explained to me that I should went and found the nurse before I took matters into my own hands. I explained to her that I could NOT find anyone and I also couldn't page because of the intercom malfunction. I'm CPR certified so thats why I did what I did.....was I wrong what is the protocol at other facilities PLEASE let me know.

Specializes in ICU.

You did the right thing.

I'm on the code blue and rapid response teams at my hospital, so yes, I do CPR - and anything else needed in an emergency. I have never been the first to find a coding patient, but if I did, I would respond how you did, given the circumstances.

So you're CPR certified (and probably require to be!) and you're not allowed to do it? That's ridiculous.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
QUOTE=CoffeemateCNA;4372017]From what I've seen at the places I've worked, nurses have to be CPR certified in order to be hired, but not to maintain employment. I've seen some people be pretty lazy about getting theirs renewed.

Where I work they keep track of expiring licenses and CPR (BLS) for Healthcare Providers. They will hunt you down. It's because the personnel file is audited by the state regulatory agency to pick apart things like that.

Seriously- writing you up? What horse manure- you are supposed to scream and run around the facility like a mad man, and finding the area deserted watch the man die?!?

Pat yourself on the back-- and also, do you think the write-up maybe had a C their A component to it? What they really should do is go over the whole thing with a fine-tooth comb, identify system breakdowns and find some redundant ways to deal with it such as the red chain emergency call alarms or call 911 yourself. Where was everyone???

If it were my g-pa you tried to save after an unwitnessed arrest, I sure as hell would have appreciated it Yes, following protocol is paramount, but you demonstrated in a pinch patient advocacy and the ability to think on your feet when under pressure. Rather have that than someone who freezes up!! .:nurse:

First off after reading some of the posts i cannot believe that any place of healthcare would not mandate all employers to be cpr certified. That is insane i know it is different working in the hospital and in an acute care setting like i do but still. I know even our secretaries are cpr certified. lol. All of our nurses are cpr and acls certified on the floor i work on. Like i said though i work in the hospital so i know its different from LTC.

The hospital I work at requires every staff member to have their BLS: Janitors, CNA's, Nurses, Clerks, Kitchen Staff.. everyone!

They require it because they expect you to use it. If I were you I'd sue the employer

Ps Nurses are required to have ACLS

At my LTC facility CNAs aren't required to have CPR certifications. They recently had a class for it and when I enquired about it, I was told that I could not attend because it was "for nurses only".

I can somewhat see why the facilty would be upset because of liabilty issues. But when someone's life is in danger are you supposed to just sit there and watch them die???

I find it odd that your facility doesn't have an intercom system. All we have to do here is get to the nearest phone and announce the code over the system and every nurse in the building is mandated to stop whatever they are doing and get their butts to the specified room.

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It probably is because of the liability issue, or the money issue (if the classes are free). I encourage everyone I know to take a basic CPR course anyway. Those are offered by the Red Cross at nominal fees. If you witness a child being dragged out of a pool, or choking etc, it's nice to know that you could do something other than helplessly wait for the paramedics.

It's a totally individual choice as a lay-person to make, and people fear lawsuits if they provide first aid care, but it's something to think about, anyway. The classes nurses take are diffeent, (BCLS and ACLS) usually approved by the American Heart Association.

Specializes in Geriatics.
I commend you for what you did, I know i would have done the same thing. I think that it's so stupied that we as cna's are the ones who are always there with a resident, we know more about that resident then anyother staff that works at the ltc. hell you could go as far as we get attached to our residents because we spend so much time with them. But when the resident codes we have so sit on the sidelines while the nurse's are too busy gossiping about who knows what and will get to you when they decide to. ( I mean it's not like we sit in the hallways or in a residents room yelling NURSE at the top of our lungs for **** and giggles).

At the LTC that i work at we are allowed to do just that ASSIST, the nursing team, which is alway run and get this this and this and while your out there getting said things can you stop and call for the ambulancetoo if you get a chance.

You would think that it would be okay for a CNA to do CPR because 9 times out of 10 WE FIND THEM DEAD!!!!!!

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