Background: To allow Division 1 Critical Care Registered Nurses to initiate treatment protocols were a medical officer is not immediately available when attending in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrests.
Purpose and scope: In rare circumstances when a medical officer is unable to attend an in hospital cardiopulmonary arrest or bradycardic event in the time taken to attach monitoring leads, establish intravenous access and interpret the rhythm, Division 1 Critical Care Registered Nurses are permitted to administer Adrenaline and Atropine as outlined in this standing order without a medical practitioner's order.
Precautions: This protocol is to be read in conjunction with the Ballarat Health Services protocol on basic and advanced life support. As with basic and advanced life support protocols, the emergency drug administration protocols will be reviewed in accordance with Australian Resuscitation Guidelines.

Please see 'Standing Order' attached in Appendix 1.