Collapse of a resident in a rest home lounge
NZ nursing OSCE practice station
Basic life support · 2 min to read · 8 min to perform
A written station. Free to try, no sign-up.
The task
You are the registered nurse on duty in a rest home. A care assistant calls you to the lounge where Desmond Clarke, aged 81, has been found on the floor beside his chair. A defibrillator and a pocket mask are on the wall nearby and a phone is available. Respond as you would in practice. Say aloud and demonstrate each action. When emergency services arrive, the examiner will play the paramedic and you must hand over. Resuscitation status is in his folder at the nurse's station, not with you. Complete the note provided afterwards.
What this station tests
- Call 111 early and send someone for the AED, then start compressions without delay.
- Gasping is not normal breathing.
- Compressions: centre of chest, at least 5 cm deep (about a third of the chest), 100 to 120 per minute, with minimal interruptions.
- Use the AED as soon as it arrives and follow its prompts.
- Hand over with ISBAR including times.
Sources for the clinical content
- Australian and New Zealand Committee on Resuscitation: basic life support guidelines
- New Zealand Resuscitation Council: resources
An original practice scenario with invented patients. Not an exam question.