Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

• Committee Chair Name & Credentials:
  Misty Evans, DNP, APRN, CPNP-AC
• Committee Member Name & Credentials:
  Kim Steanson, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC/AC

DNP Project Abstract

Effect of integrating the CPR Coach role in Pediatric Intensive Care Units Resuscitations

Purpose
This project analyzed the effect of integrating the CPR Coach role in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the pediatric cardiac intensive care unit (PCICU) at Monroe Carrel Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Methods
Pediatric critical care team members documented data in REDCap following cardiac arrest events in both the PICU and the PCICU. Additional data was collected from chart audits.

Results
Twenty resuscitations were included in the analysis: 10 with a CPR coach present and 10 without. The most significant finding was an increase in compressor switching out every two minutes with improvement from 30% to 100% (p = 0.0049) when CPR coach was present. Improvements were also seen in the likelihood of a step stool (60% to 80%), backboard (80% to 90%), and defibrillator pads (40% to 80%) being present with a CPR coach, although findings were not statistically significant. In codes with a CPR coach, DBP was maintained >30 for 50% of the code in 6(60%) of resuscitations, compared to 5(50%) in codes without a CPR coach.

Implications for Practice
This project found that all data points analyzed showed an improvement in resuscitations that had a CPR coach present with an increased adherence to AHA guidelines and recommendations.