Level 0: You’re standing outside the room or up against the wall, not sure what to do or how to help (this was me 15 years ago at my first few ED codes!).
Level 1: You’re doing “regular pharmacist things” like drawing up and labeling medications, and calculating doses (this seems minor but it is actually a HUGE help to the nurses because it lets them be hands-on with the patient, plus it reduces the chance of a medication error).
Level 2: You’re developing your skill in identifying and reversing the cause of the patient’s deterioration (this means you pay careful attention to the bedside nurse’s description of what happened prior to the emergency, and review the patient’s meds, labs, and other clinical data to pinpoint the cause and choose the treatment to reverse it).
Level 3: You’re predicting and preparing for the pharmacotherapy needs of the patient in advance of the physician even asking for a medication. You’ve got the meds available and doses calculated for a patient you noticed would probably need to be intubated, or you’ve got a vasopressor, iv pump and tubing ready for a patient you thought would probably become severely hypotensive. At this level, you’re able to almost eliminate the lag time between a physician’s request for a medication and when the nurse can actually give the medication to the patient.
No matter what level of pharmacist code and rapid responder you are, the Hospital Pharmacy Academy can help you improve your skills and apply them at the bedside during an emergency.
The Academy’s Code Blue and Rapid Response Training Program will take you from level 0 to level 3.
Once you’re at level 3, there are dozens of additional Academy Masterclass trainings that will help you hone your skills and feel confident in your role and responsibility at a code blue or rapid response call.
When code blue or rapid response questions come up along the way, you’ll be able to get answers from me and the other members in the Academy members-only forums.
Right now, you can get 7-day trial access to the Hospital Pharmacy Academy for one dollar.
Go to this page to start your trial.
-Pharmacy Joe
PS – This Hospital Pharmacy Academy trial offer will be available until 10 pm EST on Tuesday, January 28.