Module 12, Emergency Procedures. Section 1, Define Key Terminology. A, Review the terms listed in the terminology section.
B, Spell the listed items accurately. C, Pronounce the terms correctly. And D, Use the terms in their proper context. Section 2, Common Signs and Symptoms of Conditions Associated with Patient or Resident Distress.
The nurse assistant's role and responsibility in preventing and or responding. Myocardial infarction, MI, heart attack. A disruption of the flow of blood to an area of the muscle of the heart with subsequent death of the tissue at that area.
Signs and symptoms. Chest pain. May be described as crushing, squeezing, or pressure.
May radiate down arms, jaw, or back. Complaint may encompass severe ingestion, heartburn, or stomach pain, shortness of breath, dyspnea, or absence of breathing, diaphoresis, wet, cold, clammy skin, confusion, mental status change, anxiety, syncope, fainting, weakness and fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and irregular pulse. Nurse Assistant Role Call for help loudly and pull the emergency light if available.
Remain calm. Stay with the patient or resident. Place patient or resident in comfortable position.
Some heart attack victims can breathe easier in a sitting position rather than a lying position. Reassure the patient or resident. Intervene at a level of confidence as directed by a licensed nurse. Assess condition and vital signs while awaiting assistance from a licensed nurse. Keep the patient and resident warm as needed.
A cardiac arrest. Absence of heart function. The signs and symptoms.
No pulse, no circulation. Loss of consciousness. No effective breathing. Maybe agonal breathing. Enlargement of pupils.
Gray color to skin. Cyanotic nail beds. Nurse assistant role. As defined in Objective 3, cerebrovascular accident, CVA, such as a stroke or brain attack, a disturbance or obstruction of the flow of blood to a particular area of the brain, with subsequent death of tissue, signs and symptoms, hemiplegia, or weakness of one side of the body, or numbness or tingling on one side of the body, aphasia, difficulty in speaking, or understanding speech. Headache.
Vision changes. Blurred vision. Pupils unequal.
Facial changes. Cheeks may puff on exhalation. One eyelid or eye may droop. Face may appear asymmetrical.
Drooling. Loss of bowel or bladder control. Shaking or trembling.
Give me five for Stroke Tool from America's Stroke Association. Walking, is their balance off? Talking, is their speech slurred or is their face droopy? Reaching, is one side weak or numb? Seeing, is their vision all or partly lost?
And feeling, is their headache severe? Fast, from the American Stroke Association. Face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty.
Time to call 911. The nurse assistant role. Call for help loudly and pull emergency call light if available. Remain calm. Stay with the patient or resident.
Place the patient or resident in a position of comfort. Reassure the patient or resident. Intervene at a level of confidence as directed by the licensed nurse. Assess the patient or resident's condition and take vital signs while awaiting assistance from the licensed nurse.
Keep the patient or resident warm as needed. Syncope, a fainting episode, a feeling of dizziness with possible temporary loss of consciousness, signs and symptoms, dizziness, visual changes, temporary loss of vision, pallor or paleness of the skin, cool, moist skin, eyes may roll back, unsteadiness or loss of upright position, patient or resident may fall, and a weak pulse. The Nursing Assistant Role Before loss of consciousness and during dizziness, remain calm. Call for help loudly. Pull call light.
Assist to the floor. Protect from injury. If sitting, place head towards knees. If lying on back, elevate legs slightly if no spinal, head, or back injuries. If unsure, leave flat on back.
Loosen tight or binding clothing. Observe for any changes in condition. After loss of consciousness, raise legs approximately 8 to 12 inches if no spinal, head, or back injuries are present.
If unsure, leave flat on back. Loosen tight or binding clothing. Observe for any changes in condition and monitor vital signs while waiting for help to arrive. Seizures, convulsions, or epilepsy. An interference with the normal electrical activity of the brain with subsequent changes in mental status.
Types of seizures and related signs and symptoms. The absence or partial, petite mal, seizure. A mild blackout.
Looks as though daydreaming. generalized tonic or clonic or grand mal seizure, uncontrolled muscular contractions, can be minimal to major with possible violent head jerking, may be frothing at the mouth, may lose bowel or bladder control. The nurse assistant role, assist the patient or resident to the ground safely, note the time, cushion the head, remain calm.
and call for help loudly and pull emergency call light. Stay with the patient or resident and observe. If possible, gently turn head to one side to reduce risk of choking. This may not be possible in a violent seizure. Loosen clothing and or jewelry.
Pad any items that may be dangerous to the patient or resident or move items away from the patient or resident, such as furniture. Do not attempt to restrain nor put anything into the patient or resident's mouth. Note the time the seizure ends. Follow the licensed nurse instructions to assist with putting the patient or resident into a recovery position.
Insulin shock. Definition. Hypoglycemia, a condition resulting from an overdose of insulin resulting in reduction of blood sugar levels below normal, may develop due to an insulin-dependent patient or resident skipping meals or snacks. Stress. diarrhea and vomiting, or possible medication reaction.
Signs and symptoms. Pale and moist skin. Rapid bounding pulse. Headache. Confusion.
Weakness. Anxiety. Excitement.
Hunger. Low blood pressure. Hypotension. Unconsciousness.
The nurse assistant role. Stay with the patient. Remain calm. Call for help loudly and pull emergency call light. Administer orange juice, milk, or snack, if instructed by the licensed nurse.
Hemorrhaging. Severe bleeding. An extreme or unexpected loss of blood.
Signs and symptoms. External bleeding. Bleeding and spurts.
Arterial. Steady flow of blood. Venous. Slow oozing of blood. Capillary.
Internal bleeding. coughing up bright red blood, vomit that has the appearance of coffee grounds, blood in urine or stool, stool may be black and tarry in appearance. Nurse Assistant Role. Remain calm, call for assistance loudly and pull the emergency call light. Stay with the patient or resident.
Observe standard precautions. Wear gloves, apply direct pressure with a gauze pad over the area that is bleeding, elevate the affected limb. Do not offer food or drink.
Keep patient or resident calm and cover to keep warm. Shock. Failure of the cardiovascular system to provide sufficient blood circulation to every part of the body.
Signs and symptoms. Skin is pale, cold, and clammy or moist. Pulse is rapid, usually over 100 beats per minute, and weak. Low or falling blood pressure. The respiration.
shallow, irregular, or labored, eyes dull and lackluster, nausea, vomiting, and or thirst, confusion, anxiety, restlessness, may collapse, nurse assistant role, remain calm, call for assistance loudly, and pull emergency call light. Stay with the patient or resident. Give reassurance.
Maintain an open airway. head tilt chin lift or modified chin lift. Do not give food or drink. Cover patient or resident to keep warm. Respiratory distress, an increase or decrease in the effort and frequency of breathing movements.
Signs and symptoms, shortness of breath, cyanosis, dyspnea, hyper or hypoventilation, hypoxia, bradypnea, tachypnea, anxiety or confusion, nurse assistant role, stay with the patient or resident, elevate head of bed. or allow patient or resident to assume position of comfort. Remain calm. Call for help and pull emergency call light.
Reassure, calm the patient or resident. Assess vital signs while waiting for assistance. Be prepared to gather equipment as instructed by the nurse, such as an oxygen tank or tubing.
Section 3, describe the immediate interventions in a medical emergency. A. Advanced Directives 1. A signed document with instructions for care if you become unable to make medical decisions, such as if you are a coma, for example.
2. Full Code 3. Do Not Resuscitate 4. Living Will 5. Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare B. Immediate Interventions Please apply what you've learned in the CPR course whenever needed. Immediate interventions. Perform CPR only if trained. Check to see if the patient or resident is conscious. Circulation.
Check for circulation by feeling for a pulse palpating the carotid artery. If no definite pulse within 10 seconds, give chest compression. Airway. Open the airway if the patient or resident is unconscious.
Use head tilt, chin lift, or modified chin lift. Breathing. Check for breathing by looking, listening, and feeling. Give two full breaths using a barrier device. Pocket mask.
A mask must be used by the nurse assistant to do rescue breathing. Circulation. Check for circulation by feeling for pulse, palpating the carotid artery.
If no definite pulse within 10 seconds, give chest compressions. Sequence. Continue per current standards with 30 compressions to 2 ventilations.
30 to 2. General Guidelines for an Emergency Situation with a Patient or Resident Stay Calm Call for Help Gain Assistance of a Licensed Nurse The Charged Nurse will initiate EMS system by calling 911. Remain with the Patient or Resident Intervene at a level of competence as directed by the Licensed Nurse Reassure and Calm the Patient or Resident The Emergency Crash Cart Knowing the location of the crash cart is mandatory at most facilities. Automated External Defibrillator, or AED. Be aware of the AED location. Chance of survival is greater with early defibrillation.
Must be trained to use the defibrillator. Section 4. Causes and Signs of Choking. The Use of Abdominal Thrusts for Relief of Obstructed Airway.
Airway obstruction or choking can lead to cardiac arrest. Causes can be a foreign body, such as a poorly chewed piece of meat. The tongue. In the unconscious patient or resident, the tongue can fall backward in the throat and block the airway.
Small objects. Vomitous, such as the aspiration of vomit. Thick mucus.
And dentures. Signs of choking. Respiratory difficulty. The victim cannot breathe. High-pitched sounds.
Inability to speak or cough. Universal choking sign. The victim clutches the throat. Abdominal thrusts, the Heimlich maneuver, are used to relieve obstructed airway in a conscious victim.
Chest compressions are used if the victim is unconscious and rescuer is unable to ventilate. Section 5. Common emergency codes used in long-term care facilities. the emergency code colors and meanings code red fire code blue adult medical emergency cardiac respiratory code yellow bomb threat code gray combative person code silver person with weapon or hostage code orange hazardous waste spill or release codes may vary according to facility observe special consideration for hearing and sight impaired residents or patients.