First code - help/advice

Hi there,

It sounds like you did really well. At my facility our code team is just two people- an ICU doctor and ED RN (me). You anticipated things, were able to give a history and so on which is great. The last arrest I attended had nurses such as yourself who were very helpful. It is our responsibility to delegate and run the code, don't worry about feeling üseless", I'm sure that you weren't- getting supplies is very important! The last thing I need is to have to run around trying to find things. I know that at the last arrest I went to everything that I asked for was in my hand straight away, the nurses were paying attention to me, giving me new sets of gloves, wiping my face! Codes are a messy affair so don't feel like you need to anticipate everything, that's our job. I guess from my side of the fence the most helpful things to remember are keeping people away who don't need to be there, making sure other patients are not distressed who are nearby, and most of all just keeping calm. It may be worth checking out some information about ACLS. It will give you some understanding of what processes to expect and how you may be able to help, even if you are not certified you will know the process/algorithms, drugs and interventions to expect. Learn about your ABC's and basic bad cardiac rhythms, you will be more confident to step in and help. I usually ask someone to draw up a tray of flushes as soon as I arrive, they will get used. Just remember arrests are like everything else you do when nursing, repetition is how one gets good at it, and the patient is already dead so we can only improve from there. It's always a team effort and it sounds like you did great.

It can and is a different experience each time. Sounds like you did great! Remember, it's a team event, you're not being tested. When I call a code on my pt I pull up the EMR on the computer in the room so info can be accessed and that's usually where I stand as the DCN, the CN is usually outside the room after the team arrives to help delegate other nurses to attend to my other pts, place orders, fetch supplies, make phone calls, direct the team. Rarely do I see the CN stay in the pt room for the entire code, the rest of the unit can fall apart fast. There would only be the DCN in the room also, not other floor nurses. Who is taking care of their pts? There is usually enough help from the code team where I work and floor nurses aren't needed as it gets too crowded and chaotic. The more you are involved in the smoother it will seem and try to get management to send you to an ACLS class, it will help it all make more sense.