How did you react to your first code?

My first code was when I first got hired as an aide while in RN school. We had just discussed pulmonary edema(and pink frothy sputum) the week before in class. I walked in on my pt on the commode(that damn val salva response)!!! Well, she was extremely restless and diaphoretic and frothing at the mouth. Well the chg nurse just happened to walk in the room and called the code. This lady's room was covered in love, she had crosses all over the place, and pictures everywhere too. I remember running frantically trying to find an i.v. tray(thinking what the heck does that look like) my mind went out the door. The pt did not make it, as sadly most don't in codes. I guess when God wants you He wants you. No earthly measure you can do to stop it, same goes for when it is not your time. Anyways, I am a pediatric RN now, and have not yet experienced a pedi code, and hope I never do. As far as using humor for comfort, 'tis very common. I had a pt die in hospice during clinicals and my preceptor said upon lifting the deceased pt up in bed, "I guess this is what you call dead weight!" Different people cope in different ways.

I could't start an IV... I remember I felt incompetent in a room full of very competant nurses. I went out to the floor and started passing morning meds to the other patients on the floor.

That's pretty normal. My first several codes I volunteered to record so I could observe what everyone else was doing. Before long I was participating and now, as part of the ICU code team I often am the ACLS nurse at codes. I try to take time after each code to look at what I did and what I could have done better.

Pretty much how I react now... I'm very calm and methodical, then when it's all over I find I'm trembling all over (adrenaline rush, I guess).

YUP exactly me to a tee!! :uhoh21:

My first code was actually a lil traumatic because the patient became unresponsive basically with no warning...it can happen ,talking one minute gone the next.. I participated by handing the Dr. what they called for, atropine etc..but when I left that morning I went home called my boyfriend and cried like a baby..I was sad for a few days..I think it is different when you are watching and curious as a new grad... but when it is your patient that codes I think the experience for some nurses is a lil different..over time I have now seen quite a few codes, but the first time was a sad scary experience for me..

My first code was while I was working the DD (developmentally disabled) side of a mental hospital. When I flew my butt down there, resident was in full cardiac arrest. I couldn't believe the amount of people that came flying out of the woodwork to help out. It was my first and only code in my 15 years as a nurse. I know it won't be my last.. Nurses from the psych side came over and other people too, but NO MD. MD claimed he didn't get the page. :angryfire Anyway, our resident was sent to the ER and died a few minutes after arrival. According to management at my previous employment "NOBODY DIES WHILE IN OUR CARE". Yeah right. DON was standing behind me doing nothing, ADON was out in the hallway rocking against the wall. Lot of help they were.

ETA: then we were coached in what to report. Talk about a nightmare. I will never work for a place like that again

My first code was the worst day in my career as a nurse. I had been thru nursing school and a nurse for almost a year and gone without having anyone code on me. The floor I work people usually do not code. When it happened, I was nervous but somehow kept my cool, I performed CPR until the "code team" got there. It seemed like everything was disorderly(nothing like what I saw when I watched a video in orientation). After the code was finished and my patient died, I just cried. I felt like a failure as a nurse to have my patient die. When a doctor asked me if I was okay, I said no. He said "get used to it you're in health care." I felt like that comment was insensitive but in retrospect it is correct.

Classmate and I heard the page and went up to ICU to watch - then got asked to do compressions. I will never forget how his chest felt like a trampoline.

His wife came right after the code had been called and let out this unearthly howl. Classmate and I held it in until we could hide in the Med-Surg break room.

Two codes since then.... I stay calm during, and shake after!

My first code was when I was still on orientation, had passed my boards so I had RN on my badge but I was only two weeks or so into orientation so I was still clueless...I just went to "watch" and someone turned around and looked right at my name tag and said, "I need another nurse" Well, I turned to go get my preceptor and the nurse said "NO! I mean you!" OMG!!! After she saw the panic in my eyes, she gave me instructions and all went well.

And that was a zillion codes ago...

I saw a lot of codes by the time I graduated. I worked as a tech before and during school, and by the time I graduated they already had me in the middle (not giving drugs or anything, but taking notes, bagging, chest compressions, ect.)

The first one I "nursed" for was during my last semester of RN school, and I was precepting (at the hospital I work at). It was a twelve year old girl, septic. Suspected sexual/physical abuse. And we were very understaffed that day. She was fine one minute, and unconscience the next. We coded her for over 2 hours. I can remember the the family that had keep her at home sick for 3 weeks with 101+ fever corning the MD up and threatning to kill him for killing their baby.

My preceptor and boss wouldn't let me leave when it was over until my mom got there, because I made it clear I was on my way to the college to drop out. Probably one of the worst memories I have.

I was brand new and it was only me and another RN on the floor. We also had a nurse extern (I think it was her 3rd day). I worked 7a-7p. The wife of the pt came out to the nursing station at 6:55pm and asked could I check on her husband again. I walk in the room and the pt was blue. My heart felt like it hit the floor. There wasn't a mouth protector in the room, so I ran...sprinted and got a non-rebreather mask. Turned that bad-boy all the up and was doing compressions. (I was almost stradling this pt!!!!) I was yelling "Man you better breath and don't walk into the light. Walk away from the light" The nurse extern was screaming "oh my God". The other RN left and the 7p-7a RN was saying she isn't helping bc it was prior to her shift. The wife was screaming "what do I do?" I told the extern to call the code and continue to do vs. I asked the wife help me with the verbal encouragement. The code team thought we was all crazy when they came in. The pt lived BTW.

I get so embarrassed when I think about it now. I'm a lot better now when it comes to codes.

How did I react? I didn't. I believe I froze and stood there watching everyone else around me. When you don't have the experience, you don't really know what to do. I suggest watching a few codes in order to observe the different roles of people during a code and see what everyone does. Now, it still gets everyone's heart pumping, but it's def less scary.

My first code was a huge event. I was still on orientation and another nurse happened to glance at this one cardiac baby and noticed she looked awfully white and grunty. Took a temp and she was cold, pulse ox wasn't picking up and couldn't get a BP so we made some phone calls thinking we might need to intubate her...Turned into a 2 hour full blown code with 30-40 people in the room....pedi surgery, pedi cardiology, several neos, managers, many experienced nurses, and a bunch of curious onlookers. I was the recorder and I sure got a rush of adrenaline...I was shaking the whole time! And almost paralyzed with fear. We pushed epi 22 times, gave several atropines and bicarbs...chest compressions the whole time...We ended up losing her. I didn't cry until I put my car into Park in the driveway at home when I could finally just decompress on my own time. This code was talked about for over a month after it happened.

I was a bit more composed in my 2nd code..it was at night and much more contained. I did chest compressions and ended up getting him back for a little while until the parents could arrive. That made me feel really good, as we were about to call it. He ended up passing in mom's arms about an hour later...