First A Nurse: No Matter Where, No Matter What | Page 7
Moments before, everything had seemed normal in the
hot, humid gym as students moved from the 45-minute
boxing portion of their class into the yoga session. Then
someone noticed that one of the men, instead of getting
into the Downward Dog position, was lying facedown on his
yoga mat, gasping for breath. When the instructor yelled
“Call 911!” almost everyone fled the crowded room and ran
into the lobby—except for a Spartan Nurse who was in her
first year of nursing.
Amy Bakalar remained calm as she rolled the man over onto
his back, asking another member of the class, who had basic
life support training, to count for her as she began chest
compressions. She focused on the beat of the 1977 Bee Gees’
hit song “Stayin’ Alive” as she knelt alongside the patient,
performing deep chest compressions. She had learned
that the song has a rhythm of 103 beats per minute—which
is close to the recommended rate of at least 100 chest
compressions per 60 seconds that should be delivered
during CPR. The only information they had about the patient
was that he may be diabetic.
Nursing Instinct Kicks In
“My instinct as an RN was to approach the scene and check
for pulse, breathing, or any signs of life. There were none,”
Bakalar says. “I knew what I had to do, so I jumped right in
and began CPR. My tiny strength felt powerful!”
Some of the gym’s trainers stepped in to help Bakalar, and
they continued the compressions and used the portable
defibrillator several times before the ambulance arrived.
“Some people are afraid to take action out in their
communities. But as a Spartan Nurse, I feel that courage
to step up and not be afraid to speak up and take action,”
Bakalar says. “My education and training at MSU prepared
me for taking on leadership roles and accepting challenges.”
On This Journey Together
Bakalar’s advice to others: “Never think that you’re too
weak to do anything. Take life with an open mind and pass
on something to someone else if you can. Keep paying
it forward and know that we’re all connected and on this
journey together.”
She says the most rewarding aspect of her career so far
has been giving back to her community in everyday life—
and paying forward her knowledge to future nurses. As
a preceptor, she helps train future nurses from various colleges
throughout Michigan.
“Realizing how calm I was during that situation in the gym,
and knowing that I had a lot of help around even in a crisis
situation, makes me feel more confident,” Bakalar says.
“I think about that situation in the gym time and time again.
Although the man died later that day at the hospital, it was
the Spartan Nurse in me that gave it everything to care for
another soul in this world.”
Stepping in When No One Else
Has the Courage
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