Question

you are the charge nurse for night shift on a general medical floor. on your rounds, you find your patient, ethel waters, lying unresponsive on the floor of the bathroom. she is 85 years old and was admitted with heart failure. What should you do first?

Answer 1

As the nurse is admitted with heart failure, the nurse must be immediately tested for the pulse rate. When the blood enters through the arteries, the walls of vessels stretch and recoil, this rhythmic throbbing is known as “pulse,” which can be felt at any artery that runs close to the surface of the skin. So, measuring the heart rate helps to assess the functioning of the heart. The normal pulse rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute, which is parallel the heart rate.

If the heart rate is too low, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) must be done. This is a procedure practiced during the emergency to preserve the blood circulation and functioning of the brain. CPR must be performed after establishing the unresponsiveness.