ABSTRACT
Critically ill patients are at risk of cardio-respiratory arrest and all hospitals should have approved resuscitation guidelines and training for staff. During their induction nurses should be made aware of the actions in an emergency, training in the resuscitation equipment and protocols used. Each critical care unit must have an emergency trolley which includes essential emergency equipment. Critical care nurses may be required to respond to cardiac arrest calls on wards as part of the cardiac arrest team. In consequence, nurses’ role will be determined by the situation. In critical care, patients are likely to be monitored, which will allow for clinical deterioration and cardio-respiratory arrest to be identified rapidly.
