Should a nurse perform CPR to someone outside of the healthcare setting?

[jjones1728]

Should a nurse perform CPR to someone outside of the healthcare setting? Is it safe?

[OCNRN63, RN]

(That reminds me -- many years ago, when I was in nursing school and all hepped up about having learned CPR for the first time, my father, a physician, took me aside to tell me in all seriousness that, if he ever fell over dead in front of me, I should not waste any time fooling around with CPR, but just cut him open and do direct cardiac massage. He explained to me in great detail (and pointing to landmarks on his torso) exactly where and how I should cut and exactly how to do the direct massage. The whole conversation was practically traumatizing. :) He was always openly scornful of CPR, and used to say the only thing it was good for was to give the staff nurses on the floor something to do to feel useful while they were waiting for the code team to arrive -- he considered starting CPR out in the field idiotic. For better or worse, I've inherited his views. :) )

Did he tell you to make sure not to pick a knife with a serrated edge? I'm trying to visualize that conversation.

[CarePoint]

Great question. With the introduction of "Hands-Only" or "Compression-Only" CPR in the mainstream, aside from an unsafe situation, there are not many barriers to providing assistance in the event of cardiac arrest.

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

As long as there is not a DNR I don't see why someone wouldn't especially since the AHA recommendation is hands only. The person has a small chance of survival and if it's that persons time to go, I'm not going to change that. I've seen several people survive because of CPR in the field, granted most are because of AEDs.