Nervous about CPR

[luv2shopp85]

I'm in my last year of nursing school and in my er rotation. I'm really nervous about giving CPR to someone because I Don't think I know how to do it correctly! I'm worried that if someone needs CPR I'm going to freeze and not know what to do. I had my cpr class and renewed my cpr thing in april but i feel like I've forgotten already. I know its 30 compressions: 2 breaths but I just dont know where to put my hands and what to do? Can somene give me a quick refresher? Wow I feel like such an ass

[WDWpixieRN, RN]

Yeah the compressions did get changed. Its something that wsa just going into affect in April when I was taking my CPR class. So they said they were going to teach us the new method since that is what is being done now.

:yeahthat:

Several people who were in our class were surprised at the change....think it's an American Heart Association recommended change....

[Amber_student_nurse]

Yep, they changed it because research shows that it is more important to get more compressions in so that you can pump the o2 around the body. We have been taught: if the pt is unconscious and no signs then immediatly start CPR. Do not stop for a pulse just get right in there with the 2/30. Seems to make sense to me

[jov]

if the pt is unconscious and no signs then immediatly start CPR. Do not stop for a pulse

DO NOT check for a pulse?? How did you come up with THAT conclusion? As a nurse you will not be a layperson and you should have been required to take Healthcare Provider CPR.

These are the latest guidelines from AHA site:

Lay rescuers should immediately begin cycles of chest compressions and ventilations after delivering 2 rescue breaths for an unresponsive victim. Lay rescuers are not taught to assess for pulse or signs of circulation for an unresponsive victim.

The lone healthcare provider should alter the sequence of rescue response based on the most likely etiology of the victim’s problem. — For sudden, collapse in victims of all ages, the lone healthcare provider should telephone the emergency response number and get an AED (when readily available) and then return to the victim to begin CPR and use the AED.

— For unresponsive victims of all ages with likely asphyxial arrest (eg, drowning) the lone healthcare provider should deliver about 5 cycles (about 2 minutes) of CPR before leaving the victim to telephone the emergency response number and get the AED. The rescuer should then return to the victim, begin the steps of CPR, and use the AED.

After delivery of 2 rescue breaths, healthcare providers should attempt to feel a pulse in the unresponsive, nonbreathing victim for no more than 10 seconds. If the provider does not definitely feel a pulse within 10 seconds, the provider should begin cycles of chest compressions and ventilations.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3035517

It is very clear that healthcare personnel DO check for a pulse. Otherwise you are going to be doing chest compressions on:

hypoglycemic diabetics

post ictal seizure patients

head injury patients

and drunks?

[Amber_student_nurse]

Yep sorry was responding to what "we" meaning my first aid class where taught. Of course for nurses your not going to jump right on their chest and do compressions with first doing the steps you have states like emergency button, defib, drugs etc etc. We have the training to know what to look for, why the cardiac arrest/breathing has stopped etc. They changed it to make it simplier for the "public" to remember and increase the possibility that a bystander will stop and help. The new life saving technique is based on international evidence that more frequent chest compressions may result in an increased chance of survival.