You walk into a pt room & they are not breathing, whats the 1st thing...

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Whats the 1st thing you do AFTER hitting the code blue button? Step by step someone please lay it out. Its one of my biggest fears...

Initiate CPR - which starts by you trying to see if you can shake them awake.

So, I do a sternal rub, then what? Should I put the bed flat and begin chest compressions? I don't think...or want...to do mouth to mouth...

But after the code blue alarm sounds, it should be seconds before people begin to run into the room....so is chest compressions the only thing needed?

Specializes in ED.

Every facility is different but I would advise you to look at your assigned patient's chart right when you come onto the floor to see if he/she is DNR.

As a student, all you are really qualified to do is place to patient's bed flat, and place the CPR board underneath if you can. Many hospital beds are now equipped with a headboard that pulls off to become a back board.

Most likely, by the time you do that much the code team is in the room and you just need to step aside. If not, you are supposed to initiate BLS.

meredith

Yeah you definitely should find out the pt's code status before you do anything at all.. thats one of the first things we always know. Depending on where you're clinicals are, a DNR isn't necessarily as frequent as it would be in a nursing home or something. If the pt. is a DNR we were instructed to just call the nurse and stay with the pt, don't leave their side and just be there for support.

ABC - Airway, breathing, circulation

- Check their airway to see if it's obstructed, if so remove the obstruction

- Assess their breathing, if no respirations, initiate rescue breathing... be sure to open the airway by tilting the head back and only blow in for 2 seconds, 2 times in 30 sec intervals (Double check that information though)

- Assess their pulse/circulation... if none, begin full CPR... 30 compressions, 2-inches deep then 2 rescue breaths

whats the 1st thing you do after hitting the code blue button? Step by step someone please lay it out. Its one of my biggest fears...

i need some help in here!!!!!!!!

Specializes in Psych.
i need some help in here!!!!!!!!

Yeah...don't forget you're not ALONE there! ;)

Check your scene out. Shake their arm and ask, " Mr./Mrs. so and so are you ok?!" Call code blue. Then start on your ABC's.... Check airway, then check their breathing, then circulation. Look, listen, and feel is another way to remember it. Look to see if chest rising, listen for any breaths, and feel for a pulse. Depending on what's going on with the patient you'll go from their to do cpr, defib, etc.... hope this helps.

Specializes in Critical Care & ENT.

It is hard to memorize what to do in every situation step one, two, three, etc. As a nurse you will see that you are doing several steps all at once. However, you do follow the basics of BLS/CPR. You may want to make sure you know where the code button is located and what is the hospital policy on how to initiate a code. The patient may also be in respiratory distress and may require similiar interventions. During nursing school you may also want to consider working as a nurses aid/assistance to allow you to feel more comfortable in the hospital environment. The best "code" to watch is the one that is not your patient and you have nothing to do but watch.

A - Airway (is there something stuck?)

B- Breathing - You already checked this, which is how you know they're not breahting

C - Circulation, check their pulse.

You obviously wouldn't start CPR if they have a pulse.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

You hit the staff assist or code button in our hospital and you will have about 20 extremely experienced people in the room within 15 seconds.

First thing we are taught is check their code state, if DNR do nothing and go let the nurse know. (do nothing if you see they are not breathing) if they looked like they were struggling to breath then we would do something like give Oxygen, sit them up and stuff.

Oh and before calling codes, make sure you have assessed that something is wrong, not that patient was sleeping and it looked like he wasn't breathing when he was or something.

Guess that happened before, code team and everyone came running it and freaked the poor patient out who was in a deep sleep and perfectly fine :|

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