first code

i have seen two codes. first one, i was orienting as a new nurse and it was not my patient. i got out of the way and watched the process.

2nd one was not my patient. i stayed in the room and watched the process and grabbed things that were needed.

usually the icu nurse and er doc runs the code. i am overwhelmed by the process and it makes me want to take acls. i work on med/surg.

Wow, first code after 3 years of nursing.. Thats lucky. I saw my first while still in nursing school. He was my pt(in really bad shape). I stayed to answer all the questions the team needed. Second was while doing my preceptorship at the hospital (ED) not my pt. Number 3 and 4 was while I was a nurse on a med/surg floor (not my pt). Number 5 was while transferring a pt to the ICU (my pt). Since transferring to the ICU, I have lost count. I would guess 7 more in the ICU none of which were my pts... I have learned to stay calm, and get the crash cart ready.

It never looks like it does on TV. Most of the time the pt dies anyway.

NOBODY does everything exactly right. You just do the best you can, and allow yourself to be OK with that.

I learned to compartmentalize - both my feelings and the tasks. Have you watched "Finding Nemo"? The ditzy fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) sings "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming." That's my code mantra: Just keep bagging. Or: Just keep compressing. Or: Just keep writing. Whatever you need to do.

When you're home, talk about it here or with your S.O. or write about it or do whatever you need to do to process what you saw and experienced. It ain't easy, but it's what we do.

I actually saw my first code the other day and it was my very last day of clinical of nursing school!!! I was amazed at how great of a job everyone did. The teamwork was outstanding! I took ACLS in the last semester of nursing school but still do not feel like I could completely take over just yet. I can call all the rhythms and drugs given for them. I learned a lot but not anything I didn't know after I took ACLS. It was amazing....the teamwork was simply incredible!

Wow, first code after 3 years of nursing.. Thats lucky. I saw my first while still in nursing school. He was my pt(in really bad shape). I stayed to answer all the questions the team needed. Second was while doing my preceptorship at the hospital (ED) not my pt. Number 3 and 4 was while I was a nurse on a med/surg floor (not my pt). Number 5 was while transferring a pt to the ICU (my pt). Since transferring to the ICU, I have lost count. I would guess 7 more in the ICU none of which were my pts... I have learned to stay calm, and get the crash cart ready.

I take great pride in getting my pts off the unit (M/S) before it gets to that point. I was in more pf an icu setting so thankfully everyone else there really knew there stuff so it was a great experience for a code.

I take great pride in getting my pts off the unit (M/S) before it gets to that point. I was in more pf an icu setting so thankfully everyone else there really knew there stuff so it was a great experience for a code.

Yep me too. I never have had a pt code on me. The wheels on the bed are burning rubber to ICU long before they even think of coding.

To the OP, I learned to keep out of the way of the Alpha nurses. I let them dig through the crash cart and push the meds;). I like to record, so that's my job.. That and calling out times, vitals, etc...

One thing I learned recently that I never really thought about much, don't argue with the doc during a code. Recently during my ER rotation in PA school I went upstairs to step down unit for a code call. Primary nurse gave report as she went in to check on patient and he appeared to be having a seizure and the monitor was vtach. Ok, easy enough, the Vtach was not sustained and now the guy was alert, restless with some unifocal PVC's, couplets and 4 beat runs. Doc orders amiodarone 150mg IV and a RN and RT begin to argue that it was not Vtach but artifact from the guy being restless and refusing to give the amio. I pick up the original strip, look it over, yup, Vtach, no artifact to it. I hand it to the doc, tell him, yup, looks like Vtach to me. Super Nurse and RT-god glare at me and the nurse says "oh, your a student" very snide....to which I respond, yup, student PA, oh and 18 years ER experience, 2 years CVICU, past 8 years travel nurse, 30 or so different ER's from Norfolk to Hawaii, about a dozen Level 1 trauma centers and that strip is still Vtach lol. She would have been angry if the guy had not decided to have another symptomatic run of Vtach about this time and she finally comes on board with the doc and pushes the amio.

Moral, if you disagree with the doc the do so in a professional manner and discuss the options, don't become territorial and irrational.

I have seen a couple and helped out in one. I actually really enjoyed it, that probably sounds callous but I liked how the doc just stood there calmly with her hands in her pockets and told everyone "let's push this, and do that..." and we had plenty of people who all helped and we had the patient stable and transferred within about 20 minutes. We don't have many codes on my floor, and when someone does call one it's usually not a real code but someone jumping the gun. For the most part we use rapid response and get our patients off of med surg and into a higher acuity unit when they start to go downhill.

I have participated and led approximately 20 codes. In or out of hospital, the medicine is the same. Codes follow fairly predictable patterns, which is why ACLS algorithms are set up the way they are.

What gives the patient the best chance at survival is quick recognition, early activation of the code team, and good teamwork. If everyone does their job the best they know how, that's going to provide the best chance the patient has. If the patient doesn't survive (most don't) then review what you could have done better and try to do it better next time.

I have taken part in many codes including a few hours ago and yesterday too. My first was in my third semester of NS. None of them were my patients and none of them survived, unfortunately.

Since I work in the ED, most of the codes I see now are people coming in VSA and paramedics have already initiated CPR. The prognosis is usually not the greatest. If they are Asystole when they get to us, chances are pretty slim that we will be able to bring them back.

Of course I don't enjoy seeing people lose a loved one, but participating in codes doesn't bother me. I, like someone else posted, enjoy them. I am an andrenaline junkie. However I have never been to a peds code and hope I never have to...