A nurse walking down the medical unit hears a patient gasp and goes into the room to find that the patient is not breathing and unresponsive. The patient is not assigned to this nurse and there is no indication in the room regarding the patient's code status. What priority action should the nurse perform?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best choice is to activate a code by pressing the emergency button. The patient is unresponsive and not breathing, indicating an emergency situation. The nurse should not waste precious time trying to determine the patient's age or repositioning the patient. Seeking clarification on code status through the call bell would also waste precious time. The emergency button should be pressed to alert the entire medical team and initiate appropriate emergency interventions.

A Nurse Walking Down the Medical Unit Hears a Patient