An 8-year-old child on the pediatric unit recovering from severe persistent asthma is on the cardiac monitor. The nurse hears an alarm, and noted the leads on the child are on. The nurse checked for responsiveness, and the child is not responding to tactile response. What are the nurse's next actions?
Correct Answer:
Call for help, then check for a pulse
Rationale:
- In a pediatric emergency, the first step when a child is unresponsive is to call for help, then check for a pulse.
- If the child has no pulse, the nurse should then begin chest compressions.
- Ensuring the airway is important but not the first step before confirming pulselessness.
- Telling the physician comes after initiating emergency measures.
- The correct action sequence aligns with pediatric basic life support (BLS): Check responsiveness → call for help → check pulse → start CPR if no pulse.
