The first 3 minutes: code preparation for the staff nurse

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Background:

• Medical-surgical nurses may lack Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) training.
• Limited experience with cardiac or pulmonary arrest management is common.
• Code team members identified a need for improved staff preparedness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address identified deficiencies in nursing staff's response to cardiopulmonary arrest.
• To enhance the critical first 3 minutes of resuscitation efforts.
• To improve nurses' skills and comfort during medical emergencies.

Main Methods:

• A targeted code preparation class was developed based on staff needs.
• All medical-surgical units attended the training program.
• Mock codes were conducted post-training to assess skill application.

Main Results:

• Staff nurses demonstrated increased skill proficiency during mock codes.
• Nurses reported greater comfort and confidence in their roles during arrest scenarios.
• The program effectively prepared nurses for immediate resuscitation actions.

Conclusions:

• The code preparation program successfully enhanced medical-surgical nurses' ability to manage cardiopulmonary arrests.
• Targeted training improves nursing staff's readiness and effectiveness in critical care situations.
• Investing in specific resuscitation training is vital for improving patient outcomes during emergencies.