6 replies to this topic

[blondemoment]

Today i had my first cardiac arrest, ive come home and i feel really really bad, is this normal???

[3boyzmom]

It's very normal. You feel bad for the patient, and if you're anything like me you keep thinking "was there anything more we could've done?" It never stops affecting you, but you do get to where you are able to pretty much leave it behind when you walk out the doors. Get some rest, talk with your coworkers, and realize that we can't save everyone. Death is a part of life, and we are not meant to be on earth forever. There is much more in store for us after this life. Take care, have a good night.

[NawlinsGirl]

Hi Blonde Moment,

I would say it is very normal to feel the way you are feeling due to the fact that you are dealing with someones life. I would suggest you discuss your feelings with someone who has been through it. That always helps. Also, I think looking at the situation and knowing you did what you could to save a life helps as well. Good luck.

[blondemoment]

thanks, feels better to know other people feel like this, i had a really bad day yesterday was so preoccupied with it but after a few hours sleep and a chat with my manager i realise we couldnt have done any more than we did .... THANK xx

[mattsmom]

After many years as a nurse, codes will stay in my mind...I replay them, question actions, think of how to improve. This is normal and how nurses learn and grow. But no code is perfect and we can't browbeat ourselves either. As others said, we do our best and then, if possible, debrief with coworkers.

Glad you feel better...you will have many 'firsts' in nursing that will stay with you.

[rottmommie]

Dont forget, sometimes codes, and "precodes" will work out fine. Sometimes you have a chance at a save. Use your skills that you have learned to save someone else, you just have not been doing it long enough to make this a reality, and to know that sometimes it turns out okay. Not every time, but every time you lose one, you gain the knowledge it takes to save one someday.
You learn to recognize the signals at the drop of a dime. ONE day you will be in a position where you will see something that bothers you to make a pain in the arse of yourself and step up when you wanna, and your help is not asked for, and you will save ONE. Great feeling.
Need some stories? I have been doing it for 25 years. I used every bit of my senses and knowledge one day in October 2005. The guy was gray, like my dad...who is now deceased. But I KNEW what I was doing, and I SAW what nobody else did, and he is alive. He had a bypass two days later. Sometimes it takes someone seeing something days in advance to make the difference.
I am glad I was there.
and guess where.? in a cpr instructor training course....he wanted to TEACH cpr.....he realizes today how close he came to doing just that!
He plans on being in the next class, since he failed the one he was in. (he couldnt finish since he was sent out in an ambulance)
Learn if you lose one in case you need to save the next one. They are all there for a reason, dont let the reason escape you.
You will see it next time....or the time after, and that patient will come back to talk to you at that time.....I promise!