Prioritizing in emergencies

[whatdayisit11to7Nrse]

I'm trying to make a general checklist on how one can prioritize in emergencies. But I keep getting stuck because it needs to be very general and I prioritize everything based on the patient/situation.

I supervise other nurses who are great, but I need them to think more for themselves. They often call me before initiating any type of...anything. So i wanted to write general guidelines that could be applied toward any situation but I can't seem to get past a certain point.

I'm a newish nurse myself with just under 2 years of experience...there are a lot of things I'm not great at but I do well with codes and rapid response. Unfortunately i'm having trouble putting my thought process onto a checklist . Any advice from anyone who is good with teaching?

[RotorRunner]

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Haha, but seriously, ACLS would be a good start. Is that an educational requirement where you work? Can't get much more straight forward than an ACLS algorithm.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I don't want to be negative or confuse your issue, but if you are an LPN, is it within your scope of practice to supervise other nurses or lead an emergency response effort? In my state, this is restricted to RNs. In order to develop critical thinking skills related to emergency situations, the individuals must have a clear understanding of the underlying physiology. If they do not have an adequate knowledge base, they are simply not going to be able do perform at this level.

[whatdayisit11to7Nrse]

Rotorunner, Yes it's a requirement. This is why I don't really understand what the problem is :/ but maybe they just need some refresher tips like that. Thank you

[whatdayisit11to7Nrse]

I don't want to be negative or confuse your issue, but if you are an LPN, is it within your scope of practice to supervise other nurses or lead an emergency response effort? In my state, this is restricted to RNs. In order to develop critical thinking skills related to emergency situations, the individuals must have a clear understanding of the underlying physiology. If they do not have an adequate knowledge base, they are simply not going to be able do perform at this level.

Hi HouTx, Yes it is within my scope to supervise RNs and LPNs (administratevly supervise RNs, not clinically) though i find myself doing both because they ask me for help. I am really just making a checklist for them to learn, not an in service or anything big.

[AliNajaCat]

Why don't you assign one of them (administratively, that is) to do this chore?

Besides, there is no one-size-fits-most answer for this. That's one reason you're having a hard time inventing one, LOL. NCLEX questions are full of priority-setting questions-- and they're almost never ABC (or ACB, as it is now) because they expect the nurse to assess the immediate situation, not regurgitate some checklist.