CRASH cart in LTC

Specialties Geriatric

Published

How many of you have or have not used the crash cart? I'm speaking about a LTC environment mostly. Do you or did you feel you were fully prepared to use some or all of the contents, provided you were trained fully at the time of hire and along with typical training?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Let's see. . .the typical LTC crash cart contains:

1. Backboard (easy to use)

2. Suction machine (easy to use)

3. Oxygen cylinder (easy to use)

4. Oxygen tubing (easy to use)

5. Yankauer extension (easy to use)

6. Ambu bag (easy to use)

7. Flow regulator (easy to use)

8. First aid kit (easy to use)

Yes, it is my opinion that any licensed person who is certified in basic life support (CPR card holder) can learn to use LTC crash cart contents with less than one hour of training.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I've used it. I did feel prepared to use all of the contents. Have to say though - I hate CPR. I'm a huge fan of DNRs.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

If I have someone who is a full code and I get that feeling that something isn't

quite right, I send em' on out before the time comes to get out the crash cart. :)

Course... you don't always have that kind of time, do you?

Anyway, I agree with all of the above; BLS is about all that's needed to use

the supplies on a crash cart in LTC.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

I have never worked in LTC & my experience is emergency nursing, so maybe someone here can answer a question I have... why is it that a vast majority of LTC/nsg homes do not have AEDs? Or at least that's the case around my area. I can understand the reasons for not having a lifepak defibrillator on your crash cart (ACLS requirements, lack of MD 24/7 to run acls code, etc), but AEDs require no advanced training & are accessible to the general public in airports, malls, schools, so why wouldn't they be in a medical facility?

I understand that many LTC patients may have DNR orders or die of natural causes & advanced age, but what about the rest of the pts?

Sent from my SPH-D700 using allnurses.com

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Specializes in LTC, Hospice, Case Management.
I have never worked in LTC & my experience is emergency nursing, so maybe someone here can answer a question I have... why is it that a vast majority of LTC/nsg homes do not have AEDs? Or at least that's the case around my area. I can understand the reasons for not having a lifepak defibrillator on your crash cart (ACLS requirements, lack of MD 24/7 to run acls code, etc), but AEDs require no advanced training & are accessible to the general public in airports, malls, schools, so why wouldn't they be in a medical facility?

I understand that many LTC patients may have DNR orders or die of natural causes & advanced age, but what about the rest of the pts?

Sent from my SPH-D700 using allnurses.com

Great question with a frustrating answer. In my experience, it all comes down to money. Fought long and hard battle at my last place to spend the $2000-$3000 for one and after a year I finally got it. Moved to a different LTC and now I have to start the battle all over again. It is frustrating and I wish someone would just put it in the LTC regulations as a requirement - that would solve the problem.

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Massachusetts regulations....all nursing homes MUST have at least one AED. We have one in my building. At my last facility, there were 2. Everyone is trained how to use it when they are hired.

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It wasn't introduced to me while at clinical by my preceptor, but that doesn't mean when new hires come in they won't be trained on how to use all of the contents. I didn't know if facilities just ASSUME you know how to use it all. It's natural to want to be prepared for anything; but in my experience as stated above, most were shipped out prior to even pulling the crash cart out. Thank you all for answering :)

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