do any of you like codes??

[ryanfocker]

i have a confession...i like codes, ok, i love codes.

i don't like that i like them, because, i know it means a human being is in big trouble. but my heart gets pumping, pin point pupils, adrenaline racing, my entire being focuses intesely on the moment....just thinking about it gets me excited.

even when they are over, the after glow keeps me going for hours. sometimes when the floor gets slow, i "almost" want a code.

my moral compass tells me this is wrong. i should not "want" a human to code. but i know they will, and the hospital is the safest place on earth for it to happen, and i want to be there when it happens.

does any body else feel this way??

i should also point out....i get very anxious and nervous when pt's expire. and aftercare makes me shake for about a day or two. i don't like death.

any meaningful comment would be appreciated.

[moose210]

I would I have to say I think I am leaning toward liking codes. At any rate codes like me. I refer to myself as the black cloud (jokingly of course). I have not made it through a year of nursing yet and have been in my fair share of codes. It was happening so often around me the lab guy thought I was on the code team. I have also started a new ritual (esp. when pulled to another floor) I look at all the charts and write down all the DNR on all the patient's on the floor not just my patients, charge nurse or not.

I had been a part of codes before but the first two times I had to start the process:

My charge nurse left the floor without telling me to smoke, I only had an LPN from another floor with me and a CNA. Standing in the med room beside the LPN pulling out unending meds I hear RN to room whatever and I had had the pt. the night before and thank goodness I knew he was a full code because she didn't appear to remember and took off to his room. Called the code and luckily the team was there within a blink of an eye. The guy did die, and it was disturbing because he had just been eating a popsicle and was okay, but the sad part was he had no family to call.

The second most traumatizing code happened when I was pulled to work on another floor (it had not been 6 months and I was not supposed to be pulled for six months). I asked my charge nurse before I left the floor if there were other RN's up there or I was going to refuse to go. They called and assured me there were, and of course, that was no lie. There were two other RN's, however, the one in charge had been out of orientation one month longer than I had and the other one had been out three weeks. Neither of course with no code experience. I informed them of my black cloud that had seemed to be following me for about over a month and made it clear I wanted to know all their DNR's they complied thank God. On into the shift the three weeker was telling me about her pt. she thought he had had a change in mental status. I immediately made her go with me to assess him. He had a venti mask on already well it was pulled to the side and he stats were 70 before I replaced and tried to talk him into breathing better. It was apparent he was not with it and confirmed this was a change with her. I told her to go ahead call respiratory, the Dr. and to get someone to go ahead and put a bed alarm on him. Breathing better at this point. I stepped out the door to help her do these deeds. Respiratory came to his room and was standing at the door and said he was in the floor. The three weeker screamed for me, frazzled of course I went running to find the man on the floor, bleeding he had gotten up fell and hit his head I turned him over started compressions, while she was asking what to do I told her to get down there and help me. First broken ribs that is always a nice experience. (kinda makes you want to throw up) made her keep doing compressions while I jumped up and just put the venti mask on him that was all I had time for and the code team got there pretty fast and we actually got him back by the time they were there. To make this long story short, he died three days later anyways, but we did get a yellow card ( a show of appreciation at my hospital) from the doctor.

Oh yeah that nurse from my regular floor heard the code and came to help me because she knew it was me and well of course she owed it to me after she abandoned me to go smoke.

I thought you might appreciate that since you like codes.

[EMTastic]

I have a love/hate relationship with codes right now! I think the "hate" only due to the fact I am really new to EMS, but codes are a big reason I chose a career in the ER. For example, the other day we had a ped and a neonate code at the same time and it was my first time dealing with a code of someone under the age of fifty. Our ER is small so I tech and order labs and do secretary work. Fortunately another person was on staff to do secretary work. Plus we were full so I had to assist with all the other patients too. It was just chaos , running around, listening the nurses with the codes shout things for me to get them and not being familiar where things were! But the outcomes were successful and that more than makes up for everything! I know it will be easier later when I get used to the chaos :)

[JaredCNA, CNA]

Okay, so this is weird. The patient I had that coded that I talk about earlier, totally fine one minute, dead the next...well, when I would ask him before if he needed me to get him anything, it would always be something. we did this about 30 times that night. the last time, I asked, "Do you need anything else while I'm still here?" And kinda peacefully, he said, nothing at all.

It had to have been right after I walked out that he went into cardiac arrest because I go in there less than 15 minutes later and he's blue.

Some people in the medical field will tell that a patient knows when they are going to die.

[mcknis]

i do believe that some people just know when it is their time to go. not everyone has that instinct, but some do. I have seen some older folks pass away like they were just meant to do so, then there have been others that have been so scared, that they held onto everything in the world. When it is my time to go, just let me go. I better be a DNR and I will push and push for that to be. I feel soo sorry for these pts whose family members want grandma around for just a few more hours so THEY can be with them, but they don't understand how much grandma/grandpa just want to be let go.

[JaredCNA, CNA]

i do believe that some people just know when it is their time to go. not everyone has that instinct, but some do. I have seen some older folks pass away like they were just meant to do so, then there have been others that have been so scared, that they held onto everything in the world. When it is my time to go, just let me go. I better be a DNR and I will push and push for that to be. I feel soo sorry for these pts whose family members want grandma around for just a few more hours so THEY can be with them, but they don't understand how much grandma/grandpa just want to be let go.

You're right, I think. We had a hospice patient on our med/surg unit for about a month. Bedfast, didn't talk, but you could tell how bad he was hurting...They D/C'd his PEG tube because it came out and didn't put it back in. He was ready to go...so one night I came in to make rounds and said, "Mr. X, dont be afraid. Why fight it."

Then they'll usually pass in a day or two from my experiences. I'm not sure if telling a pt it is going to be okay actually helps but I try to do it whenever we get respite care patients.

I think with my guy who coded 10 minutes after I saw him, he was just ready. He was a very needy guy. Every time you came in the room he'd need something...and i'm become used to it. That last time I left his room, he said "nothing at all."

[Trauma1RN]

I am a big fan of codes. It all started when I worked med/surg as an aide. I always found myself gravitating towards the sick patients, and if there was code, I was always the second of third person there.

It always sucked transporting the patients to the ICU right after a code. I felt disconnected in a way.

So when I graduated I landed my dream job working on a Level 1 Trauma SICU unit. I couldn't be happier on my unit, I get to see all the stuff I ever wanted and more.

[uscstu4lfe]

i liked them when they were still new to me. but now they're physically exhausting! nothing like sweating and messing up my hair to start my day off bad!

i'd rather they code for the oncoming shift (well, i'd rather they not code at all... but if they have to, then not on me!)

[silentRN]

I would say that right now codes are very scary to me because I'm a new nurse. When I didn't have my license and was in school I would be interested in them and performed in one and I did get an adrenaline high. But now, I'm the one who is responsible for this person's life and I can no longer pass it off and just walk away if you know what I mean. I am more interested in prevention if there is any way possible in keeping that patient stable or recognizing if the patient is deteriorating and doing something about it before the patient gets to the point of coding. I'm more interested in that aspect than doing ACLS. I actually get more of a high carring out those steps towards saving a person's life than beating on a most likely dead man's chest and pushing drugs while watching the monitor. I want to get into ICU once I am more experienced because I view ICU nurses as the Ultimate Nurse, the nursing gods of nursing; and I hold them in high respect. I know one day I will be there, but I need to learn to crawl before I can walk.

-David H.

[wonderbee, BSN, RN]

For me when I'm working a medical code, I get detached from the patient. The goal is clear. Time stands still. The drama unfolds as the team assembles, each member with a job to do. This is when my judgment is at its best and my energy is at its highest. When its all over I can cry or not, but always need to talk about it. When family is in the room, it's a different story. I don't like family present at codes. I need that cool aloofness to do my job and their presence sucks it right out of me.

Anyway, now that I'm in psych nursing, I don't get to be part of medical codes anymore. When they do happen, I feel like I'm all dressed up for a party with no where to go. I'm not even allowed to start an IV. I know I like medical codes because I can no longer take part in them. I have to be a bystander. I miss it.

[Adjuvant]

The only time I hate a code is when we really shouldn't be doing it. All too often we're trying to cheat death on someone who really should be allowed to go in peace. Either family can't let go or just poor preparation means no DNR order. And the poor 95 year old with dementia is worked on for what seems like forever, cracking ribs, intubating, shocking....only to revived on a ventilator in the ICU until people can make peace with it.

[TLCinCICU]

Codes do give me a bit of an adrenaline rush, but I am much more pleased with myself after a day where I've felt like I've spent the shift about 15 minutes away from a code at any given point. I prefer being proactive - somewhat aggressive - and taking initiatives (getting them intubated, getting lines placed and drips started, etc.) and being part of the team effort to AVOID a code. After all, less than 15% of those who reach a code blue situation (in hospitals) survive to discharge - which includes those in vegetative states.