[black small square] In our adult medical-surgical unit, a visiting toddler had a seizure, hit his head, and became unresponsive. A pediatric code was called. The pediatric building is two blocks from our unit and the pediatric team was responding to another arrest, so the adult arrest team arrived first.

Although none of the staff in my unit had any experience with a pediatric arrest, we worked together to stabilize the child by the time the pediatric code team arrived. The experience was frightening but fulfilling.

I never dreamed I'd be part of a pediatric code team. Situations like this don't happen every day, but when they do we need to be ready. Everyone who works with adults needs to be ready to help in a pediatric emergency.

SONIA RUIZ, RN

New York, N.Y.