Have you ever performed CPR? Results?:

BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN · Apr 1, 2013

Hundreds of times. I am not sure if any survived (and by survived I mean 30 days), maybe one or two over the years. I really don't remember. I never kept track of that sort of thing. Once my shift was over, I forgot everyone.

I'm not surprised they arrested your brother. In a situation like that the police are in charge, certainly not an off-duty nurse passing by. Sounds as though the situation was far from stable and his impulsive action probably put others in danger; not a good move. The victim was going to die anyway, so he needn't feel anything about it. PTSD would be understandable though, maybe you could suggest he get some counseling.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 1, 2013

I have done CPR many times. In my opinion, the hardest thing about CPR is stopping it... the next hardest thing about CPR is the decision to start it. The third hardest thing about CPR is NOT starting it... Actually doing it? Well, it's not that difficult to do.

As to your brother's experience, sorry to hear that. CPR and Traumatic injury usually means that you end up doing practice... I have some amount of experience doing CPR in the field. Outcomes aren't usually very good anyway, and very poor when dealing with traumatic injury.

SuzieVN · Apr 1, 2013

Hundreds of times. I am not sure if any survived (and by survived I mean 30 days), maybe one or two over the years. I really don't remember. I never kept track of that sort of thing. Once my shift was over, I forgot everyone.
I'm not surprised they arrested your brother. In a situation like that the police are in charge, certainly not an off-duty nurse passing by. Sounds as though the situation was far from stable and his impulsive action probably put others in danger; not a good move. The victim was going to die anyway, so he needn't feel anything about it. PTSD would be understandable though, maybe you could suggest he get some counseling.

Thanks anyway for your compassionate nursing attitude, but he's dead by suicide. I especially like your 'when the shift is over I forget everyone' frame of mind.

SuzieVN · Apr 1, 2013

I have done CPR many times. In my opinion, the hardest thing about CPR is stopping it... the next hardest thing about CPR is the decision to start it. The third hardest thing about CPR is NOT starting it... Actually doing it? Well, it's not that difficult to do.
As to your brother's experience, sorry to hear that. CPR and Traumatic injury usually means that you end up doing practice... I have some amount of experience doing CPR in the field. Outcomes aren't usually very good anyway, and very poor when dealing with traumatic injury.

Sweet alternative comment, thank you. He just happened to be walking home, and saw a bloody human on the sidewalk. He was so shocked he was unaware of the crime scene, the yellow rope, and whatnot. He actually thought he was doing...a good thing? And BTW- I wasn't really asking for opinions on my dead brother's behavior. I was asking for a poll of nurses that had really done CPR, and what was the end result. I only used my brother as an example, of someone who did. His bad. Small wonder nurses are so well known for attacking their kindred souls.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Apr 1, 2013

Well having performed and received...

Performed: dont really know too many if any that have survived. Once they hit the floor its kind of out of my hands and mind.

Received: grateful my parents knew CPR. Im here and alive because of it.

SionainnRN · Apr 1, 2013

Thanks anyway for your compassionate nursing attitude, but he's dead by suicide. I especially like your 'when the shift is over I forget everyone' frame of mind.

Really? You brought your brother into the conversation, the other poster didn't know anything other than what you told us. I agree with her that by rushing into an unstable scene he put himself and others in danger. I have performed CPR more times than I can count and withdrawn care on more people than I can remember, other than my first I don't remember any if them. That's how you survive this job, you can't internalize. You fight as hard as you can when they're in front of you, then move on.

VANurse2010 · Apr 1, 2013

Not everyone takes the same approach to nursing. Not everyone wants to take work home with them. Don't solicit opinions if you don't want to hear perspectives that differ from yours.

Thanks anyway for your compassionate nursing attitude, but he's dead by suicide. I especially like your 'when the shift is over I forget everyone' frame of mind.

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Apr 1, 2013

It's hard, but sometimes you must distance yourself from your patients to cope. I'm on our code team.. I see too much, but I still haven't learned to not take it home with me.

Calabria, BSN, RN · Apr 1, 2013

I don't know how to insert a poll tool, but here's my story. LTC, shift change, I went looking for the day nurse. She said "I'm in here!", so I entered the room. As soon as she pulled back the curtain (she had started and was doing CPR on a patient), she 'pushed' me towards the dead patient, and said "I have to go to the bathroom- and this lady needs CPR!". So, I started CPR myself, and had a CNA call 911. But the lady had been dead so long she was cold- I didn't have any time to evaluate what was going on. Yes, she died. Only time I've done CPR.
My brother was an RN, in Philly. Walking home, he came upon a man that had been shot, and the police were present. He noticed the man was not being attended to, so he ran under the yellow crime scene tape, determined that the fallen man was alive and bleeding out and needed CPR, and started CPR. The police told him to get back out of the scene, he told them "I'm a nurse- he needs CPR!". My brother was arrested for 'disorderly conduct' and 'disobeying the orders of a peace officer', and the man bled to death. The charges were dismissed, but my brother never got over that experience.

If you ask us for feedback, you should naturally expect feedback on your original comments as well. Your brother, though his intentions were good, interfered with a crime scene and (unknowingly) tampered with evidence despite being warned.

That aside, I've done CPR before on an infant. He didn't make it. But we had basically been resuscitating him for 1.5 hours before we got to that point and knew we had gotten to the inevitable.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Apr 1, 2013

Wow. Tough crowd. It is possible to state a dissenting opinion with a tiny bit of compassion you know. Doesn't cost any more either.

I am interested in hearing more responses to the original question.

Larry77, RN · Apr 1, 2013

I have performed CPR hundreds of times in 8 years as an ED RN but I have no idea how many actually make it out of the hospital. We can usually get them to ICU on a vent but the future is not usually great for these people (often times "brain dead"). On the other hand, I have taken care of a few patients that tell a story about I time when they were revived, either at our hospital or others.

I don't understand the negative tone this topic took, I'm sorry for that. I remember a lot of the cases but the ones that stick out the most are the ones that come in talking and code right in front of me and of course every pediatric case. It's a horrible thing to happen but something that a descent ED RN is very good at...codes are a great teamwork opportunity and one that even if done perfectly the odds at saving someone is fairly low.

Larry