[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Emergencies and life support](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/emergency/) › Basic life support from the nursing side # Basic life support from the nursing side - Procedure If a patient does not respond and is not breathing normally: call for help and the defibrillator, push hard and fast, and defibrillate as soon as you can. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Unresponsive and not breathing or only gasping: it is an arrest; start CPR. Do not delay compressions to look for a pulse. - Adult: 30 compressions and 2 breaths, at 100–120 per minute, about 5 cm deep. - Let the chest recoil fully and keep pauses to a minimum (under 10 seconds). - Use the AED as soon as it arrives and follow its prompts. - Children and infants with two rescuers: 15 compressions and 2 breaths. On this page - The basics Key points - What it is - Indications - Equipment - Step by step (and why) - Main differences by age (health professionals) - Next step: when to call for help - Clinical Complications - Safety Contraindications and precautions - Study Test yourself - Connections Connections ## What it is Basic life support (BLS) is the first response to cardiac arrest: recognising it, calling for help, starting high-quality compressions, ventilating and using the automated external defibrillator (AED) as early as possible. In hospital, a nurse is often the one who finds the patient: they recognise the arrest, call the code, start CPR, bring the crash cart and organise the record. Compression quality and minimal pauses matter most. This page summarises BLS for study; it does not replace a certified course or the current AHA or ERC guidelines. ## Indications - A person who does not respond and is not breathing normally (or is only gasping). - No definite pulse after a brief check (health professionals). - Witnessed arrest, or a patient found unresponsive on the unit. ## Contraindications and precautions - Scene safety: make sure the surroundings are safe for you and the patient. - Respect a valid do-not-resuscitate order under the law and the institutional protocol. - Use personal protective equipment and barrier devices or a bag-mask to ventilate. - Suspected spinal injury: log-roll the patient, keeping head and neck aligned. - Firm surface: a CPR board or the bed in CPR mode so compressions are effective. ## Equipment - Automated external defibrillator or monitor-defibrillator with pads. - Bag-mask with reservoir, oxygen source and suction equipment. - CPR board and crash cart. - Code record sheet and a clock or timer. ## Step by step (and why) - Check safety, call the patient and tap their shoulders — confirms they do not respond. - Shout for help, call the code and ask for the crash cart and AED — early defibrillation saves lives. - Look for breathing and feel the pulse together, within a few seconds — delay in starting compressions worsens the outcome. - No definite pulse: heel of the hand on the centre of the chest, arms straight — so the force goes to the sternum. - Compress at 100–120 per minute, about 5 cm deep, with full recoil — it creates blood flow to brain and heart. - Open the airway and give 2 one-second breaths that make the chest rise, cycles of 30:2 — oxygenates without long pauses. - Put the AED pads on as soon as it arrives and follow the prompts; nobody touches the patient during a shock — protects the team. - Resume compressions right after each shock or analysis and rotate compressors — fatigue lowers quality. - Assign roles (airway, compressions, AED, recorder, leader) — an organised team cuts pauses and errors. - Record start time, shocks, drugs ordered by the doctor and changes — the timeline guides decisions. ## Main differences by age (health professionals) | Item | Adult | Child (1 year to puberty) | Infant (under 1 year) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Compressions:breaths | 30:2 | 30:2 with one rescuer; 15:2 with two | 30:2 with one rescuer; 15:2 with two | | Depth | About 5 cm | About 5 cm | About 4 cm | | Rate | 100–120 per minute | 100–120 per minute | 100–120 per minute | | If alone | Call for help and the AED, then start | About 2 minutes of CPR before leaving to call | About 2 minutes of CPR before leaving to call | ## Complications - Rib or sternal fractures from compressions. - Gastric distension and vomiting from excessive or too-fast breaths. - Shallow, slow or interrupted compressions, which reduce survival. - Shock risk for the team if anyone touches the patient during defibrillation. ## Next step: when to call for help - Continue until the resuscitation team arrives and takes over, the patient shows signs of life or the leader says to stop. - If circulation returns, watch airway, breathing and pulse and prepare transfer as directed. - Give the team a short report: time of arrest, rhythm, shocks and what was done. - After the code, restock the crash cart and take part in the case review. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## For how long, at most, do you check the pulse before starting compressions? A few seconds, looking at breathing at the same time, without delaying compressions. If there is no definite pulse, compressions are started. ## At what rate and depth is an adult's chest compressed? At 100–120 compressions per minute, about 5 cm deep, letting the chest recoil fully. ## What is the compression-to-breath ratio in a child with two rescuers? 15 compressions and 2 breaths. With one rescuer, 30:2 is used. ## When is the AED used during CPR? As soon as it is available: the pads are applied, its prompts are followed and compressions resume right afterwards. ## Why are compressors rotated during a code? Because fatigue reduces depth and rate. Rotating keeps compressions at high quality. [Add to my cards (5)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/basic-life-support-from-the-nursing-side/) ## Connections ## Related 1 - [The crash cart: checks and organisation](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/the-crash-cart-checks-and-organisation/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [CPR - adults and children after onset of puberty](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000013.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026); [CPR - young child (age 1 year to onset of puberty)](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000012.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026); [CPR - infant](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000011.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2026). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/basic-life-support-from-the-nursing-side/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/basic-life-support-from-the-nursing-side/