Manual Defribrillation in the OR

[cardiacnurse9063]

We currently have BLS prepared RN's in the OR who are performing manual defibrillation. It has been my experience that manual defibrillation is an ACLS skill and should only be done by ACLS trained staff.

1. Do your OR nurses have only BLS or both BLS and ACLS?

2. If only BLS, who does the manual defibrillation? Is it the physician?

Thanks.

[wtbcrna, MSN, DNP, CRNA]

We currently have BLS prepared RN's in the OR who are performing manual defibrillation. It has been my experience that manual defibrillation is an ACLS skill and should only be done by ACLS trained staff.

1. Do your OR nurses have only BLS or both BLS and ACLS?

2. If only BLS, who does the manual defibrillation? Is it the physician?

Thanks.

It isn't about who shocks the patient, but who is running the code/interpreting the cardiac rhythms. As long as the anesthesia provider or the surgeon is running the code/interpreting the rhythms I don't see a problem with it.

[usalsfyre]

A 16 hour class does not a code manager make....

It's a skill. I could teach my four year old to do it in about 5 minutes. Not a big deal. The knowledge of WHEN to defib is the real worry.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Most of our nurses are only BLS. They can run the defibrillator, but only on an order from surgeon or anesthesiologist. The hospital code team does not respond to the OR, so we're it.