Heimlich Queen

[MrNurse(x2)]

My wife showed our staff why we are here yesterday. A kinder was choking at lunch, unable to do any air exchange and my wife did the Heimlich. Most nurses make it through life never doing this. This is the fourth totally obstructed person my wife has saved. God knew what He was doing yesterday and placed the expert here. Parents weren't quite impressed, though.

42 minutes ago, Wuzzie said:

One would think that schools and day cares would have to have at least a few people trained in CPR. It's not expensive or difficult. Very disturbing.

Totally. And as a parent, I would want to make sure there were people trained in emergencies!

[Cas1in72]

5 minutes ago, MHDNURSE said:

Totally. And as a parent, I would want to make sure there were people trained in emergencies!

I got a call for an emergency once, went running to the classroom to find a 7th grade student turning blue and hovering over a trash can, while 3 adult staff members stared at him. I Heimliched him, the peppermint shot out of his mouth and he started to breathe again. I stared at the staff members in disbelief!! They were all trained in CPR and the Heimlich but " didnt want to hurt him" HMMMMMM thinking injury would be a better option than death UGH sometimes, if I think of it too much, I get overwhelmed thinking I am really the only one that will act in an emergency.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

3 minutes ago, Cas1in72 said:

They were all trained in CPR and the Heimlich but " didnt want to hurt him" HMMMMMM thinking injury would be a better option than death UGH sometimes

This is the same thought process of anti-vaxxers. Rather have a dead child than autistic (if it were true). The staff ran the little guy into our office from the lunch room. Next year, we are gone, scary to think what will happen then.

[UrbanHealthRN, BSN, RN]

2 hours ago, Wuzzie said:

One would think that schools and day cares would have to have at least a few people trained in CPR. It's not expensive or difficult. Very disturbing.

After working in a Head Start/Daycare environment where I was the only healthcare person on staff between multiple buildings, let me just say that there's a big difference between having a nurse manage a child's health problem and a childcare worker manage the same problem. Some staff I worked with were great and knew what to do, but a lot needed help.

It was expected that I train all staff on how to manage pretty much any health issue by themselves (asthma attacks, epi-pens, seizures, etc.). They also got a CPR/First Aid refresher from an outside agency once every two years, and the preference was always the faster the refresher, the better.

If you expect a non-healthcare person to help a child, then you will get the non-healthcare version of helping a child. And this type of staffing is true for way more early childhood programs and other settings than people would like to think.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

11 hours ago, MrNurse(x2) said:

My wife is downplaying it, but that was my thought. Not even a thanks for letting us know, just a complaint because we don't have contact info and had to call the grandfather. Rich parents, poor kids.

How sad ? I'm sure kiddo appreciates Mrs. Nurse's help, at least!

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

19 hours ago, UrbanHealthRN said:

a non-healthcare person to help a child, then you will get the non-healthcare version of helping a child. And this type of staffing is true for way more early childhood programs and other settings than people would like to think.

AMEN.

I just looked up rules for another project and in TX apparently one person in a room has to be certified in CPR (which usually but not always includes choking).

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

I've done Heimlichs many times in LTC. Residents on pureed diets and thickened liquids with families who decide mom wants a cheeseburger, fries, and coke and sneaks it in. Then scream when mom begins choking. Heimlich done. Then complain about the care plan that they signed, that shows that they were aware of said choke risk