learning zone assessment READERS PRACTICE PROFILE

interventions, such as fluid resuscitation or administration of medication, before an emergency situation develops and life support is needed.

The emergency team

The article highlighted the importance of the whole multidisciplinary team in an emergency situation and how each member of the team has an identified role to deliver the best possible care. This allows for speedy and accurate care, which can make the difference between life and death. Teamwork is crucial and all members play a part in providing care. The article has helped me to understand the importance of using the ABCDE approach to assessment and implementing it in the care of critically ill patients in an emergency situation. The ABCDE approach allows for clear guidance and assessment of patients, in terms of airway, breathing, circulation, disability and exposure. I will continue to use this approach in my career and pass this skill on to other colleagues and students. Once I qualify, I intend to attend intermediate and advance courses on resuscitation. I also aim to complete the Acute Life-Threatening Events: Recognition and Treatment (ALERT) course to gain a better understanding of emergency conditions. The article has allowed me to see my potential and hopefully to achieve my goals NS

Basic life support

A learning zone article has given Elizabeth Reynolds more confidence in handling emergency situations
As a third-year nursing student, I will soon have to become involved in an emergency situation on the ward. The article on basic life support has helped me to feel more confident in the actions that I would need to take in such a situation. Putting the knowledge I gained from reading this article into practice in the critical care environment has made me more aware of my own skills and the skills of others around me. It has brought my knowledge up to date, so that I can pass it on to others and deliver better care. Basic life support (BLS) should be started by the first person who finds the patient poor life support techniques can lead to poor prognosis. Practising BLS develops confidence and skill. Therefore, mandatory training is important for all members of the team. In the general ward setting, emergency situations are not a regular occurrence. It is therefore important to build up exposure NURSING STANDARD and skills from your first year as a nursing student, so you have some experience of emergency situations and feel confident working in them. It is also important for my professional and personal development to gain more knowledge and experience of this area before I qualify. The article emphasised the importance of using the early warning score in hospitals. Critically ill patients need to be monitored accurately and regularly to enable early detection of deterioration. This allows for
This practice profile is based on NS494 Denton A, Giddins P (2009) A collaborative and progressive approach to basic life support. Nursing Standard. 23, 38, 49-55.

Elizabeth Reynolds, nursing student, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust

Write your own practice profile

You can gain a certificate of learning by reading a Nursing Standard learning zone article and writing a practice profile. Turn to page 51 for this weeks article and on page 60 you can find out how to present and submit your practice profile.

Visit the RCN Learning Zone

The RCN Learning Zone is a FREE online service to help RCN members with their continuing professional development and professional portfolio management. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the RCN Learning Zone is at www.rcn.org.uk/members/learningzone.php january 6 :: vol 24 no 18 :: 2010 59

CHARLES MILLIGAN

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