The guidelines for CPR recently changed. There is a greater emphasis for "compression only CPR," meaning to not do mouth to mouth and just do chest compressions until EMS arrives.
A 71 year old nursing home resident collapsed to the ground. The esteemed nurses at the facility called 911 and started CPR...or so they think.
They had heard of the new guidelines, but they got things a little backwards. They thought it was "ventilation only" CPR, meaning they ventilated but did not do compressions.... meaning she had no circulatory volume.
She didn't make it, obviously.
-ER Doc
16 comments:
Maybe that was the nursing home slow-code variation.
That's really sad ... and scary.
I think there are a few people who need to retake CPR...how horrible!
Sounds like a lawsuit in the making.
Realistically (& hopefully) they probably weren't "nurses". In my experience, RN's & even LPN's are rarely seen in nursing homes-they might be in an office somewhere, but not @ the bedside.
Realistically, did she have much of a chance to start with?
I don't know. I doubt it since she was in a nursing home. Point is the funny story how they got the CPR wrong.
ER Doc
They probably weren't nurses but they probably were supposedly trained in CPR. Which is sad. And disturbing.
That is just beyond stupid on their part. i took the emt-b class almost 3 years ago...and even i know about the compressions only part.
Have they been living under the proverbial rock?
Yep, i imagine the sharks are circling....
I've been in a few assisted-living places (working)- I'd have to agree, the RNs and LPNs are hidden away in the office, and only come out when us CNAs say "hey, can you take a look at this patient, they're acting funny and look sick." Because of course the CNA is considered too stupid/unreliable to take BP/temp, despite having been taught it in class. However we CNAs are NOT generally taught CPR. Yeah, it IS scary. I once worked for a company that owns many many assisted-living facilities, they are UPSCALE ones. I was looking through the horribly inadequate system of binders and such that they used, and found the "DNR" list tucked away in the middle of one binder. Stashed on a desk with the other binders. The list had several names of people that were already dead, and when I asked my coworker how we were supposed to know if someone was DNR or not she said- well, look it up in the patient's binder here in the office, or ask one of us CNAs who have been working here a long time. (??!?!?!!) Because the place was too "upscale" to have such gauche things as an actual sign on the door or even inside a cupboard or something, indicating their DNR orders. I asked the RN in charge about the list having dead people's names on it and she said "it gets updated....sometimes." *roll eyes* Truly scary. I lasted there a week before my mouth got me into trouble- they were morons.
Caya, that is my experience too. My father was in an excellent nursing home, but I never had the impression that the CNA staff knew the drill for medical help. That said, they did, however, do an amazing job of everyday care for the residents. And, at this facility, there was always an addition carer within shouting distance to run for help.
At other facilities I have witnessed almost absent-minded or even angry care by some of the staff with no RNs or LPNs in sight. It is a sad, complicated issue.
I thought that BLS was a requirement for employment in most, if not all care homes, etc. Ya know, like tb status and other paperwork....
i took the CNA class many years ago and we had to be certified in BLS.
Maybe it varies by state- I took my CNA cert. class and test in 2010 and there was no CPR training involved.
To several previous commenters-I'm a nurse and I'd be the one they'd call to perform CPR in the ALF I work in. As a matter of fact now even RNs work in SNFs and ALFs and not in the office. Just sayin'
I've seen CPR done as a gentle massage of the abdomen and a circular motion over the sternum (think: the karate kid). Not effective.
No one said it, so I will...
***Facepalm***
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