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Reaching Out for a Solution – Lack of Easy Availability of the Automatic Emergency Defibrillator

Perkins

Reaching Out for a Solution – Lack of Easy Availability of the Automatic Emergency Defibrillator(AED)

What Is the Issue?

The issue, in this case, is the lack of easy availability of the automatic emergency defibrillator. According to Cardio Partners (2020), over 7,000 children die yearly from cardiac arrest. However, with an AED readily available, the hospital survival rate of students suffering from cardiac arrest in school is roughly 70 percent, as opposed to only 8 percent for those without (Cardio Parters, 2020). It is impossible to save a life using the AED if it cannot be easily accessed. Therefore, finding the best position for the AED is important. In this case, the AED was locked in the custodian’s closet, yet it was a device that was needed urgently since it could mean the difference between life and death in school.

Is It My Issue, and Can I Solve It?

The issue is indeed my issue as the school nurse. The well-being and health of students is my primary role as a nurse. School nurses need to take the lead role in the school’s AED program since they oversee vision, hearing, and other health-related screening programs. Sudden cardiac arrests are likely to occur during organized sports activities. In this case, students from my school participated in the sports activities and were part of the spectators. Therefore, it is my issue if a school fails to ensure the easy availability of an AED, particularly during sporting activities. I believe that I can solve the issue with the help of other stakeholders.

Is This the Real Issue or Merely a Symptom of a Larger One?

The AED was found locked in the custodian’s closet. This is a sign of neglect of duties on the part of the custodian, but more so, on the part of the school nurse, coach, teachers, and school staff in general. Research conducted by Drezner et al. (2013) on 2149 high schools reveals that a defibrillator was applied 85 percent of the time, but a shock delivered onsite was only applied 66 percent of the time. This shows that negligence is also common in other schools having AEDs, which endangers students’ lives.

According to AED Brands (2020), since most children fail to show signs of sudden cardiac arrest, having an AED close by and ready to go is of paramount importance. The fact that none of the staff in the school was aware of the absence of the AED during the occasion implies major neglect. The unavailability of the AED could, therefore, be a sign of a larger problem. A readily available AED in school means that students, staff, and visitors are protected.

Does It Need an Immediate Solution, or Can It Wait?

The issue needs an immediate solution. According to Rothmier and Drezner (2009), early defibrillation programs that involve access to AEDs by targeted local responders have a survival benefit for sudden cardiac arrest in most athletic and public settings. Therefore, it is important for organizations and schools sponsoring athletic programs to implement AEDs as part of an all-inclusive emergency action plan, particularly in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. Furthermore, the fact that thousands of children die of sudden cardiac arrests in school implies that this problem needs a sudden solution to prevent future deaths.

Is It Likely to Go Away by Itself?

The problem is highly unlikely to go away by itself. It has already been identified that the problem could reflect an even larger problem in the school. Most schools fail to make use of their AEDs, and the ease of accessibility could be a factor behind the failure to make use of it. With this in mind, it could mean that most schools, despite the presence of an AED, have failed to implement such programs correctly. If the problem cuts across different schools, then it is highly unlikely that it will go away by itself.

Can I Risk Ignoring It?

I cannot risk ignoring the problem because people’s lives, particularly children, are at risk. Ignoring the problem will only exacerbate it and also encourage negligence in other schools. Given that research shows that most sudden cardiac arrests experienced among children can be avoided if there is a readily available AED, ignoring the problem would mean condemning more children to deaths that could have been avoided. Ignoring the problem would also be a form of negligence on my side as a nurse since it is my responsibility to do no harm and ensure the well-being and health of the students, staff, and visitors in school and also advocate for the well-being and health of the students in general.

What Are the Possible Solutions? Are There Risks to These Solutions?

The possible solutions to the problems involve proper training and education in regard to the importance of AEDs in school. It is also important to ensure that an AED program is successfully implemented and adhered to in the school. The possible risk to this solution could be resistance and denial of negligence from the management and leadership of the school. With the school not admitting to the existence of the problem, it could be difficult to implement a proper solution.

What Steps Would You Need to Take in Order to Solve the Issue?

To be able to solve the problem, it would be important to take the issue up with my school’s leadership. I would then advocate for a sit-down with the leadership of the other school to make them aware of the issue and find ways of solving it. This might mean sharing information on my school’s AED program implementation and making a suggestion for future actions. If the issue remains unaddressed, it would be important to take the issue with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors in the school.

Does Anyone Else at the School Need to Be Involved In The Solution?

Including other individuals, such as the school leadership, in the solution is important. Nurses are advocates who work on behalf of the stakeholders, such as the patients affected by the care they receive (Foley, 2020). On behalf of all the students, it would be important to involve the community members and all schools in the community to ensure proper adherence to AED protocols. Coaches, staff, and teachers should also be trained and involved in the solution.

Where Is the Power Leverage in the School to Reach the Preferred Solution?

In this situation, the nurse possesses information, persuasion, and expert power. Foley (2020) claims that policymakers are rarely experts in healthcare, but nurses are. Consequently, as a nurse with the relevant skills and knowledge regarding the issue of AED in schools, it will be important to employ expert power to influence the relevant parties to take the necessary action to resolve the problem. The school nurse also possesses information that the school needs to make necessary changes based on personal experience and access to data, and hence, information power can be used to help in the solution. Lastly, to influence others to agree to the need for a change, it will be important to use facts and data to sway the stakeholders to make use of a certain solution. Advocacy in nursing involves problem-solving, effective communication skills, conflict management and emotional intelligence, and key leadership skills. Employing these skills will be important while addressing the problem.

References

AED Brands. (2020). School Defibrillators. Retrieved from https://www.aedbrands.com/resources/choose/aed-market-guides/school-defibrillators/

Cardio Partners. (August 19, 2019). The Importance of AEDS in Schools. Retrieved from https://www.aed.com/blog/the-importance-of-aeds-in-schools/

Drezner, J. A., Toresdahl, B. G., Rao, A. L., Huszti, E., & Harmon, K. G. (2013). Outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest in US high schools: a 2-year prospective study from the National Registry for AED Use in Sports. British journal of sports medicine, 47(18), 1179-1183.

Foley, M. (2020). Political analysis and strategies. Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care. Elsevier.

Rothmier, J. D., & Drezner, J. A. (2009). The role of automated external defibrillators in athletics. Sports Health, 1(1), 16-20.

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Question 

Reaching Out for a Solution – Lack of Easy Availability of the Automatic Emergency Defibrillator(AED)

In a Microsoft Word document of 4-5 pages formatted in APA style, you will develop a process for advocating about an issue as a nurse, from identifying a problem that needs to be solved to articulating a process for doing so.

Reaching Out for a Solution

This assignment consists of answering each of the questions listed below from the “Political Analysis and Strategies” chapter (Chapter 9) of your course textbook. Write each question as a new topic area; then follow with a paragraph or two to answer the question.

Let us assume that you are a school nurse in a high school. At a recent school athletic event, a spectator suffered a cardiac arrest in the stands. A coach of the home team went into the high school to fetch the automatic emergency defibrillator (AED) only to find out that it was not readily available. In the meantime, an emergency squad arrived and resuscitated the spectator. On Monday morning, you learn of the absence of the AED, only to find out that it had been locked in the custodian’s closet. Reflect on the following questions outlined in the “Political Analysis and Strategies” chapter

On a separate references page, cite all sources using APA format. Helpful APA guides and resources are available in the South University Online Library. Below are guides that are located in the library and can be accessed and downloaded via the South University Online Citation Resources: APA Style page. The American Psychological Association website also provides detailed guidance on formatting, citations, and references in APA Style.

Please note that the title and reference pages should not be included in the total page count of your paper.

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