I'm Shocked

[Emergent, RN]

The one had me dumbfounded. A code blue was announced. Our ER doc responds to codes upstairs and started heading out.

The medical resident doing his ER rotation asked me what was happening. I said it was a code blue upstairs. He replied "What's a code blue?".

This is someone who made it through medical school and is a doctor. I explained that it is when someone stops breathing and to follow the ER doc.

Actually, I thought this was something learned from watching TV. But don't they cover this in medical school too?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Not all places use the phrase code blue. Some have, in fact, moved away from it because it is so well known.

[cleback]

A lot of facilities have switched to different terminology, like medical emergency. Maybe he doesn't watch much TV either?

[Emergent, RN]

In Washington state these codes have been standardized. These baby docs have obviously not been properly oriented.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Emergent said:

In Washington state these codes have been standardized. These baby docs have obviously not been properly oriented.

1

Where is the Code Brown...?

[Davey Do]

Emergent said:

I thought this was something learned from watching TV. But don't they cover this in medical school too?

He probably falls asleep watching TV too!

[Davey Do]

An image for easier viewing.

Jedrnurse said:

Where is the Code Brown...?

With the Code Brown included!

[SC_RNDude]

A lot of facilities have switched to different terminology, like medical emergency. Maybe he doesn't watch much TV either?

Whatever terminology is used should have been covered in hospital orientation.

[Buckeye.nurse]

That's crazy Emergent!! I can't believe the medical staff doesn't have the various codes covered during their orientation.

Code blue seems universal, but some of the other codes vary from state to state. For instance, Code grey was also used for a violent person in North Carolina, but means "weather alert" in Ohio.

And Jedrnurse, we have a Code Brown in Ohio--it means "missing adult". Maybe someone forgot to check the bathrooms before panicking?? :)

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

While true, it's a little scary that this physician resident doesn't know the most critical code in the hospital where he is doing his rotation.

[NuGuyNurse2b]

Maybe he didn't understand why the ER doc is heading to a floor code blue so it might've confused him in that moment? At both hospitals I work at, the ER MD's do not respond to floor codes. There's a whole nother team that does that. So if it was my first time at your ER and I saw the ER MD going to a floor code, it would confuse me as well.

[Daisy4RN]

I don't know how any Resident can get to that point of being a "Resident" and reply "What's a code blue". I am not getting any younger and it just scares the code brown out of me if /when I have to become a patient in the hospital.