Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation

This assignment will present a proposed change in the way cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is taught in hospital.   This assignment is written from a nurses objective and how he/she will go about being the change agent to a ward. Models of change will be analysed and reasons for choosing Lewins 1951 model will be given.   When looking at   CPR techniques of nurses, studies showed that the knowledge and retention of CPR psychomotor skills deteriorated after time (Madden 2006, Ornato & Peberdy 2006). Therefor   CPR training was the chosen proposed change as it is a key aspect of clinical practice and delaying CPR after cardiac arrest results in poor outcome (Ibrahim 2007).   For every minute without CPR from witnessed arrests, survival decreases by 7-10% (Ornato & Peberdy 2006).     With heart disease causing a third of all deaths in the UK last year (Scarborough et al 2010) this skill will be one of utmost importance and the need to perform this skill to the highest standard cannot be overstretched. The Resuscitation Council (2008) agree that every health care worker should have update depending on clinical area at least once per year, therefor this is a skill that each nurse must maintain throughout their career despite whether they are using this skill regularly or not.

The change proposed here is to have a manageable sized resus manikin on a portable cart to be kept on the ward at all times. The manikin will give an instant print out of results on how staff performed in chest compressions and ventilations. Staff can practice whenever they feel necessary so the psychomotor skill of CPR does not deteriorate. The recommendation for practice would be at least twelve times per year. Accordingly this change must be followed by an audit to see if not only staff are complying but the patients who are the forefront of this are seeing the benefits (Cork 2005). This change was trialled in another health care establishment and was welcomed by the staff and further enhanced...