Students - Codes

UHN uses a series of different colours to identify various emergency situations. We expect that all students and clinical faculty will become familiar with our emergency codes, and with emergency equipment located in their clinical areas.

In case of an emergency, dial "5555" to reach the switchboard.
Describe the nature of the emergency to the operator.
The operator will dispatch the correct team to assist you.

• Click here to get a quick overview of what each colour means

An Emergency Codes manual is available in each clinical area to provide you with more information about each code. The UHN Intranet features an electronic version of the manual, as well as brief video clips about each emergency code.

Code Blue
We expect that every student and clinical faculty member will, at a minimum, be able to assess an unresponsive person, activate a Code Blue, and retrieve the unit’s emergency Code Blue equipment. We strongly recommend that every student and clinical faculty member complete the UHN Code Blue eLearning course (course code NUUHSN005W_CBT).

A Note About AEDs
Use of an Automated External Defibrillator involves the “application of energy” which is a Delegated Controlled Act (DCA). Nursing students can retrieve an AED from its wall mount but cannot use it at UHN in their role as a student health care professional. This is because the “application of energy” is a Delegated Controlled Act and students are not covered under a DCA.

Code Red
UHN uses the word REACT to help people remember what to do in case of a fire. We expect that all students and clinical faculty will become familiar with what to do in case of a fire.

Click here to see the REACT steps

We strongly recommend that all students and clinical faculty complete the Fire Safety - Annual Refresher eLearning course (course code UHUHEP009W_CBT), or attend a UHN Fire Safety Seminar. To attend a Fire Safety seminar, please visit the Fire Safety site on the UHN Intranet for a list of scheduled sessions and to obtain contact information for the Fire Marshals at each site.