Introduction

Early recognition of the deteriorating patient and prevention of cardiac arrest is the first link in the Chain of Survival. Prevention of cardiac arrests requires staff education, monitoring patients, recognition of patient deterioration, a system to call for help and an effective response.

In this session we will look at:

What to do when you encounter a collapsed or sick patient. This includes looking for signs of life and assessing ABCDE (airway, breathing, circulation, disability, exposure)
Calling for help
Carrying out CPR
Using an automated external defibrillator (AED)

Please note: this e-learning has been designed to give you an overview of what to do in an emergency situation. All organisations will have their own resuscitation guidelines and this e-learning should be used in conjunction with your organisation’s face-to-face training.

Your Responsibilities

National resuscitation guidelines are set by the Resuscitation Council UK and the European Resuscitation Council.

You have a responsibility for ensuring that your knowledge regarding all aspects of resuscitation is kept up to date and complies with your organisation's mandatory training requirements.

Select the headings below for more information.

Local policy and procedures

Responsibilities include:

Knowing your organisation's local resuscitation and Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) policies
Knowing local procedures, for example:
- Location of emergency buzzers
- Location of emergency equipment
- How to use emergency equipment within your workplace
- How to summon help
- Emergency access routes
Complying with your professional code of conduct

Reporting and recording details

It is important to record factual details of an emergency event to document what has happened. This can then be shared or communicated with other agencies as appropriate and used as an aid to recall if further investigation is required.

Emergency events need to be reported in accordance with national and/or local policies. This is because it will help to identify trends which may alert you to potential problems and can be used for auditing purposes to aid organisational learning.

The final document should be written in black ink so that it is clear and legible, timed/dated and signed with the name printed.

Personal capabilities

It is inappropriate and potentially dangerous to work beyond your level of knowledge and skills or personal capabilities, even in an emergency situation. This is because you may negatively influence the patient's outcome, you may injure yourself and you may leave yourself open to possible disciplinary action or litigation.

It is important that your competencies and capabilities are up to date and reflect the requirements and responsibilities of your job role, as these can decline rapidly if not utilised or updated. By doing so, you also help to protect the patient and yourself and ensure that your practice follows the current and latest guidelines.

Resuscitation Adult Level 1

Dependent on your organisation, you may have been asked to complete the training for Resuscitation Adult Level 1 before completing Level 2.

If you have not been asked to complete Level 1, it is worth reviewing the Resuscitation Council's interactive Lifesaver training which takes you through different resuscitation scenarios.

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