Did you know? "Code Brown" means tornado. . .LMAO!

[delphine22]

So we all have these color codes, and in both hospitals I work at they are printed on a buddy badge that hangs behind my ID badge.

We all know Code Blue, Code Red for fire, Code Green for mass casualty, etc.

At both my hospitals Code Purple means natural disaster. At one hospital, this includes weather events. At my other one, I recently attended orientation, and the safety officer (not a medical person) described another color, Code Brown, for tornado.

"I think it's a shame," he said to the group, half of which were RNs and CNAs, "that these colors aren't standardized around the state and the nation, so there's no confusion."

Oh, there's no confusion, all right. We allllll know what Code Brown means. I can only imagine what would happen if they announced that on the overhead page.

(Special note: I'm in a state well known for hurricanes, but rarely tornadoes. Perhaps the new owner of this facility is based in a tornado state, and the very thought of a twister causes them to have a. . .well. . .Code Brown.)

[bewitched]

The explanation I've heard against DNR armbands at both of my hospitals has been that it's a HIPAA violation, as in, they might not want the whole world knowing they don't want to be resuscitated.

Code Blue, Code Red, and Code Pink are standardized between both of my hospitals. I believe Code Black is a bomb threat at both, Code Grey is a combative pt/visitor at both, and Code Brown is a hurricane/tornado warning at both.

As far as armbands go, my first hospital uses yellow for fall risk, pink for arm precautions, and a white one (sep. from nameband) with red writing for objections to blood products.

My new hospital, which I've just oriented at, has a lot I'm not used to--obstructive sleep apnea arm bands, blood bank arm bands that are handwritten when they're typed and crossed, and some others... I'm just picturing a ton of armbands up and down a patient's arms! LOL

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

And there need to be fewer. Code White is hostage but Code Silver is active shooter? Can we just have one code (Code Charcoal?) for "person with weapon threatening people"? Waiting for codes Puce and Chartreuse....

We have codes black, blue, grey, navy, orange, pink, red, silver, white and yellow.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

We have codes red, silver, orange, pink, purple, blue, grey, and "roam". We also have yellow and red alert (community emergency).

arm bands: white(name), purple (DNR or limited code), red (allergy), yellow (fall risk), green (type and cross).

Also overhead page for every Trauma standby and Trauma response.

Love the idea for code puce (? GI bleed) and chartreuse (C. Diff or vomit?)

[Twinmom06, ASN, APN]

Interesting about the fire. Our fire is a Code 55

[icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN]

One hospital called code hope on day shift when the hospital was at capacity

Nobody really knew what it meant or where to go or what to do.

Someone said it means hope nobody codes.

Another good reason to work nights.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

We have code gray (combative patient), black (tornado), silver (shooter/person with weapon), orange (bomb), Yellow (hazmat?), purple (child abduction), Pink (infant abduction). Code brown is poop to us LOL

[skyrn88]

Hmmm... Very interesting. I've never heard hospitals here in D.C area with a special code for tornado. We must not have much tornado in the area...

[Christy1019, ASN, RN]

We have code gray (combative patient), black (tornado), silver (shooter/person with weapon), orange (bomb), Yellow (hazmat?), purple (child abduction), Pink (infant abduction). Code brown is poop to us LOL

We must work at the same hospital lol. In addition, code white is pediatric code blue, and code green is an elopement or missing adult patient.

[loriangel14, RN]

Ours are black= bomb threat, red= fire, blue= cardiac arrest,purple= hostage taking, green= evacuation.white=psychiatric emergency( violent patient), brown= chemical spill, pinl pediatric emergency, yellow= missing patient, rellow bonnet=missing baby

[nekozuki, LPN]

Four pages later, I am still laughing over "Poopfest 2014."

The only weird code we had was "code grey," which meant there was a hostile person running around, usually some AMS patient whose sitter had left to use the bathroom and became aggravated when asked to stop finger-painting with the contents of their bedpan.

[wheeliesurfer]

So for those of you whose "Code Brown" stands for some type of a storm (hurricane/tornado/inclement weather), could you then refer to that storm as a **** storm? ;-)

[wooh, BSN, RN]

So for those of you whose "Code Brown" stands for some type of a storm (hurricane/tornado/inclement weather), could you then refer to that storm as a **** storm? ;-)

Code Brown: When the poop hits the fan!