I am scared to do CPR

Nurses General Nursing

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I am frightened that I won't do it right, or that I will freeze in the middle of someone needing to do it. To clarify, I LOVE being a nurse, I love caring for people, and making their day better or easier, and I know nursing is not all peaches and sunshine. I am an LPN. I am still going to school for RN. But I just wonder if I am enough, or do I know enough. Are my techniques correct, am I doing it EXACTLY like I am supposed to, and I worry I forget things or don't remember every step. I know CPR is not about you, it is about the person you are trying to save. I just am so frightened that something I do will hurt someone instead of saving them, and I so want to do everything right. Otherwise, I feel I have great assessment skills, and seem to do fine at work, and catch things that get over sighted sometimes, and am thorough otherwise. I did well in school, passed my boards the first time. I am just not sure of myself. Does that make me a terrible nurse? Does that mean I shouldn't do this line of work if I am so unsure? I'm not a know-it-all, I just feel I need to constantly be learning, and how to do I make sure I am, constantly refreshing my skills and my knowledge without seeming stupid? I just want to do everything right!

Specializes in Surgical, quality,management.

I have been that person shouting harder faster. At a code at 6 am before the day shift came on at 7 am I was the access manger (senior nurse on site). I had to be the one watching the monitor as if there was another code I would have to run to it. I was shouting at 5 neuro surgical registrars and a few icu registrars as well. CPR is exhausting ESP at 6 am on the floor of the bathroom

I've done CPR twice, in my life. Both times, I didn't think about it, or decide what to do, I just started and kept going. Adrenaline and training kicks in and you don't think about it. Both times I was exhausted when finally relieved. Better to do something than nothing at all.

I'm scared too but I think in the moment you "just do it." I'm a new nurse and wouldn't take offense if someone pushed me out of the way, or said something to that effect. It's not personal, as a newbie I probably wouldn't be doing it effective enough, and it's about saving the pt. Teach me later.

I've only done CPR once and it was still in nursing school during my leadership portion in a small ED. The paramedics brought someone in who had coded at home, CPR was initiated at home and continued en route. ER doc said we'd continue until a set time (it would have been about 40 minutes down by then) and my preceptor nodded at me to pick up compressions from the paramedic who was tired. I was told "harder and faster" during my compressions, they had a pulse with mine, and when they had me hold compressions it was flatline. We continued for 4 more minutes and doc finally called it. If in doubt, harder and faster.

Is there anyone at your workplace that teaches CPR annually? Maybe you could schedule a one on one training with them to brush up on it, and asked questions! Have you checked the American heart association website, or the internet for current CPR videos? Maybe talking to a CPR instructor and watching up to date videos would make you feel a little more comfortable. Good luck hun. We all have things that make us nervous as nurses...

Checking for the videos is a great idea, I just didn't even think about that. I'm currently not working, but I am sort of paralyzed about applying for any job because of this. I really appreciate everyone's input. It was very comforting and reassuring, plus helping me look at it all realistically, and get over my fears. I already feel more confident. I will go and look at the videos, and FYI, I am not some 90# weakling, so I will probably be having to do the compressions, lol!

Glad you're feeling a little better! Definitely watch CPR videos, & check with local American heart association approved CPR instructors to see if they're willing to work with you one on one... Your fears are understandable. Unless you use something every day, it's easy to get rusty with anything...

I'm scared too but I think in the moment you "just do it." I'm a new nurse and wouldn't take offense if someone pushed me out of the way
Well, you probably should... codes need not be high-energy, high-stress events. In fact, they shouldn't be. They should be calm and relaxed, not rushed... and certainly there's no place for "pushing someone out of the way."
as a newbie I probably wouldn't be doing it effective enough
Maybe, maybe not. Some of the best compressions I've ever seen were by nursing students... young, healthy, fit. There's very little to CPR besides some very basic technique and physical fitness... that's why I love it when firefighters are hanging around.
Teach me later.
Nope, teach you NOW. The best way to learn... really learn... is by DOING it for real... and the best TIME to learn it is right in the middle of it.

See one, do one, teach one...

Specializes in PACU, Oncology/hospice.

I can't really say much as I feel completly unprepared to handle a code, granted I am still a student in a BSN program, but I can only hope that I will get to experience a code and watch how it is handled and I also hope that our professors will prepare us for how one will run.

Specializes in Provided temporary travel RN care to pat.

You are totally normal and it sometimes happen in start. Just think about what will happen if you will not do this and it will give you some strength to do it. Just stay calm and focused. And yes alot of more practice will be also helpful.

Trust me, I don't worry about coddling. However, I am also not a b*&%h. Sarcasm isn't required, instruction is. Rather than interrupting compressions (which happens way too much as it is), telling the person how to perform compressions will likely result in "getting some effective compressions here".

And, by "telling the person how to perform compressions" I mean stating those three little words "Harder And Faster".

If you are a 90# weakling, then yeah, get off the chest and record or something.

How did you learn to do CPR? For me, it sure as heck wasn't in any BLS class.

This^^^^

Specializes in CICU.
Checking for the videos is a great idea, I just didn't even think about that. I'm currently not working, but I am sort of paralyzed about applying for any job because of this. I really appreciate everyone's input. It was very comforting and reassuring, plus helping me look at it all realistically, and get over my fears. I already feel more confident. I will go and look at the videos, and FYI, I am not some 90# weakling, so I will probably be having to do the compressions, lol!

Unless you work in ICU or ER, the times you will have to do CPR or participate in a code may very well be few and far between.

On the floor, unless it is your patient, there still have to be nurses looking after all the other patients - that could be you. You will undoubtedly have some coworkers that love codes, so you won't have to.

Don't let something that may very well never happen stop you from looking for work. Besides, I think a lot of things seem scary or difficult until you learn how.

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