I have been a nurse for 11 years now. I’ve worked in the ER, maternity and now postpartum. I was at the pool today with my kids when I hear the whistle being blown and not stopped. I looked around quick and saw a child trying to hold/pull another child out of the pool. I threw my snacks and (not my best parenting moment) ran to the child and told my 7 year old to pick up the stuff I dropped and go get her dad. 3 of us nurses helped pull him out, myself and an ER nurse confirmed no breathing and no pulse and I just immediately just started chest compressions. He was so limp and pale, eyes completely fixed up when we pulled him out. Thankfully after almost 2 minutes he started breathing again was talking to us. I cannot stop questioning myself- I know I didn’t feel a pulse but I keep thinking I didn’t check long enough or maybe could it have been there and thready? I asked my husband how my cpr looked because I was so scared to do it on a child(pre teen aged), but he keeps reassuring me I did everything right. I feel so shaken up, my 7 year old said she was scared and shaking when I came back to sit with her. I’ve done it so many times at the hospital, I’m not sure why I’m so affected.
EDIT: wow thank you everyone for all the awards and stuff, it is definitely not needed but so appreciated! Everyone who had similar experiences- you have no idea how much that has helped me with processing it all. Yesterday I was just feeling so much anxiety and adrenaline, now I do look back and think: how could I have questioned anything at all?!
