Emergency care is applied prioritisation, and the rule inverts when resources run out: routine triage treats the sickest first, disaster triage treats the most salvageable first. Tag seven casualties with START, then take a four-patient load and decide both the order you see them and who on your team may legally do each task — then decide which numbers oblige you to pick up the phone.
Multi-vehicle collision, seven casualties, two rescuers.
Needs exceed resources, so the principle becomes the greatest good for the greatest number. START sorts an adult in under 60 seconds using respirations, perfusion and mental status. Tag every casualty.
Day shift, medical-surgical floor. Four patients, one registered nurse, one LPN/LVN and one UAP.
First decide the order you go to them. Then decide who may do each task.
Click the patients in the order you will see them
Assign each task — RN, LPN/LVN or UAP
Most in-hospital arrests are preceded by hours of documented abnormal vital signs.
The real skill is not running the code — it is preventing it. For each finding decide whether it meets a rapid response criterion or is something you watch and trend.