Low-Fidelity Code Blue Simulation on the Orthopaedic Unit.

Orthopaedic nurses care for a range of patients with comorbid conditions, but because of the implementation of Rapid Response Teams, rarely do orthopaedic patients experience cardiac or respiratory arrest. Rapid Response Teams decrease emergent arrest situations on nursing units by intervening to treat clinical deterioration or move patients to a higher level of care prior to cardiac or respiratory arrest. Orthopaedic nurses still need to be prepared to act emergently with basic life support skills, which are only renewed every 2 years. Review of actual code blue events and the implementation of low-fidelity code blue simulation may improve comfort levels and performance of basic life support skills. The purpose of this article is to describe how educators designed a low-fidelity mandatory annual code blue simulation exercise for nurses to help increase confidence when faced with the rare cardiac or respiratory arrest emergency. The low-fidelity code blue simulation has been repeated annually and has been an effective exercise for orthopaedic nurses.