maybe I wasn't being nice.....

[hearthelper]

So, maybe I wasn't being nice to my fellow coworkers, but common on we need to be a little more intelligent about our decisions. I work in ICU and had transferred my pt out of the unit to the Med/Surg floor when about 2 hours of her leaving she went into SVT with a HR around 200 (which I could see the second she went into it b/c we watch the telemetry for the hospital in ICU.) So, I watched the monitor for about 3-5 minutes (the telemetry tech notified them as soon as the pt went into SVT) hoping that they were going to turn her around but instead they called a rapid response. So, I went straight to the room to find 4 nurses standing around the pt, who was asymptomatic and stable. They did have the crash cart in the room, the BP machine on pt but the most important thing that no one had done was to notify the DOCTOR so you can get some orders for some meds, or I guess we could all just stand around her until crapped out on us!! At this point the pt had a HR of 200 for 10-15 minutes. I called the MD got orders and we converted the pt. Afterwards, one of the nurses overheard me being critical of their response to the pt and I know I should not have done that and I do feel bad for cracking jokes about them. This is a typical expected reaction on the med/surg floor and it happens too often. We are all nurses and all been taught the same principal things for ACLS response to a pt in SVT and they did act appropriately with a majority of the event but why wouldn't you call the MD as soon as you know your pt is in SVT??

[Fribblet]

As a step down unit nurse, and one who has taught a code cart class, I have to ask....why not pull the ACLS Algorithm off the Code Cart???? At my facility , I am fortunate that someone had the smart idea to attach the ACLS algorithms to all the code carts, and to make it a policy. l On every PEDS cart the algorithm is chained to the side of the cart and on every Adult cart the ACLS protocol is chained to the side of the cart. If you get nervous and forget, you have a large laminated chart to assist you.

That's a great idea to have the algorithms readily available. When your adrenaline is a-flowin' the simplest tasks become difficult and all that information in your head isn't as readily available.

It's an excellent way to refresh yourself too. Can't remember what to do for SVT? Take a quick peek at the code cart and remind yourself.

Even though I work the in the ER, it's been quite a while since I was last involved in a code (thankfully). Regardless, I still pull out my ACLS algorithms and review them to try and keep the information fresh in my mind.