BamaFlightRN

The first person responding to the code should be sure good QUALITY CPR is in progress. If not, that is their first priority. If so, then they should place the patient on the monitor and look around for what the patients needs are next. For the patient without a IV, he needs one. The drugs we anticipate given should be gathered and made ready, flushes included. The second person in should take over the first nurses responsibity so they can lead the code, being sure the CPR is quality, the people in the room are doing what they should be doing. They need to be monitoring time and cycles of CPR, preparing the things that require interrupting CPR so that a pulse checks they can be done to minimize CPR interuption. The people that should be in the code...Leader, preferrably a competent ACLS trained physician. 2 people whose sole responsibility is CPR, swaping chest compressor at the 2 min cycles. Need an Medication nurse to administer the drugs and keep in mind the intervals for the next drugs to be given. You need a transciption nurse to chart the code events. Someone competent in airway control, ie CRNA. Too many people in the room can be a hinderence so security outside the room is imperitive also. Hope this helps.

If you turn your patient over to someone who is unable to manage the patient or not able to provide the same level of care you are guilty of abandonment. If they have a bad outcome, your responsible. Dont put yourself in that position. You worked too hard for your license...

Where I work, they are treated like IV's. Dressing changes q72hrs, Tubing changes q72hrs. Changed out as needed. Only MD's and CRNA's place artlines here in Alabama.

Sedation should be considered with any vent patient. Many ventilator patients are just not a candidate to wean. I like propofol infusions, very safe. But for the long term, Versed infusion is a very nice drug. I also like to add Morphine to the sedation. Most of the time we use 1-2 mg Versed/hr and 2-4mg/Morphine/hr.

Job availability? very few, lots of people want to be flight nurses. Job responsibility providing care in a very small enviroment with minimal back up, just you and your partner on the aircraft. Job growth/potential Limited. Expected salary 45-75,000/year Pros/Cons Pro...you get to provide high quality care to very sick patients/ cons...you work in a very stressful enviroment that requires people to expect perfection out of you in every situation. How the role of flight nurse fits in todays Health Care System? We provide critical care transport for patients that time is of the utmost importance. How/What a Flight Nurse does to provide, coordinate, & be a member of a profession? Maintains certifications, constantly working in education. I enjoy flight nursing, its a different animal than hospital nursing, but rewarding in its own way. Good luck

Most states have a list of drugs that arent supposed to be administered by the RN. I know here in Alabama there are limitations, particulary with Propofol, Fentanyl, and paralytics. Nurses CANNOT push propofol, we can hang drips on ventilated patients for "ICU sedation". Nurses also cannot administer paralytics to a nonventilated patient..ie RSI...if you have a doubt, check with your board of nursing.