Last Tuesday, we had an opportunity to test our skills relating to a “Code Pink”, truly reminding us that every time we have a drill, we either learn something new or find an area of opportunity to improve.
During last week’s drill, we enlisted the help of one of our OB patients and her husband after we discussed the importance of training through “live” scenarios.
Here is a recap of the scenario:
The mother was to come out of her bathroom and find her baby missing, using her call light to report it. The nurse responded by coming to her room and initiating a “Code Pink” as it was announced overhead but not indicated that it was a drill. The response of our staff was phenomenal and employees went to the exits throughout the hospital as they are trained to do. Unfortunately what the observers witnessed was that the “perpetrator” had already made it outside the hospital when the overhead page was announced. Also noted was one PT staff did go outside when she saw a man with a car seat walking towards a vehicle and intercepted him at his car. She then checked the car seat and bag to find the doll. The “all clear” was announced only 4 minutes after the code was called.
Opportunities for improvement are:
- to try to reduce our response time, including the time to call 3555 to report the “Code Pink”
- to try not to expect that when a code being called that is just a “drill”. Sometimes when we hear “its a drill” our response time may be slower.
Please take time to review the “Infant/Child Security Policy” to keep the steps of action foremost in your mind. Feel free to reach out to either myself, Jamie Hendrix, Katie Linden, Jill Sawyer if you have questions or any feedback.
-Gail Lobell, RN-C, MNN