[VizslaMom]

Last night, one of our patients told a nurse (early on in the shift), "I'm crapping out on you tonight.".
Okay - PuhLease don't say that in an ICU!!
Gives me the heebee-geebees when a pt. says something like that to me.
He coded and passed away between 0430 and 0500 this morning.

Moral of the story: ALWAYS listen to your patients.

Why is it that these patients usually know when "IT" is going to happen?

[VivaLasViejas]

I agree with you........whenever a patient tells me "something's wrong", I jump right on it, because otherwise it's likely to bite both of us in the butt at some point, usually sooner rather than later!

I also pay close attention when someone says they're going to die soon....9 times out of 10, they're right.

[abundantjoy07]

Has any patient ever explained how he or she felt before they die? Is it a malaise type feeling or something else? As a nurse, can you just look at them and tell (not reading labs)?

[traumaRUs]

I hate that. I had a guy a couple of years ago (I work ED) who told me, "please don't let me die." Well, he had a AAA, it dissected and out the door he went. I always believe patients.

[Audreyfay]

I had a patient who started saying "I'm going, I'm going" as a coworker and I were inserting a feeding tube. Yup. He died. He was a no code.

I had a guy in his 70's who asked me after I took his blood pressure if he was going to live. He was joking around, appearing very chipper. He was in the hospital for some elective surgery. 'Nothing wrong with you!" I joked back. About 30 minutes later he coded. He did make it, but now I never tell anyone stuff like that.

I had another guy in his late 30's who came in for diabetes education. His lipids were through the ceiling and his blood sugars were a close second. I told him that I was real concerned that he could have a heart attack. We need to work toward getting him back into better health. He came back to see me about 2 months later. He told me that the day after he saw me, he had a heart attack and had undergone emergency bypass surgery. He was doing quite well. I decided I'd never say that again either.

Am I superstitious, or what?

[proudmommielpn]

Here is one, this is when I was working as a CNA, I went in and told this resident I would be back in to help her get ready for a shower, I left towels and washcloths and she said "Do I really have to take one today?" I told her it was her shower day and I would be back in about 30 minutes to help her. She told me, I am not taking one today, I left the room and another CNA came into the room I was in about 10 minutes later and said the lady in 148 just died. This isn't really funny but I often wonder if one of the last things that she thought about was, "I told her I wasn't showering today" That was weird.

[Roy Fokker]

I can't comprehend that feeling... knowing that you are at the edge.

[obeyacts2]

Originally Posted by Roy Fokker

I can't comprehend that feeling... knowing that you are at the edge.

I believe that pts do know when they are going, especially the hospice pts. I had one lady with CA, not (supposedly) near checkout time,, who did this. The CNA leaving said something like "Well, I wont be back to Monday, so take care and Laura will be in my place" The pt said (hugging the CNA) "Thank you for all you've done, but I wont be needing you by then. Im leaving 8:00 Saturday night". We were all shocked. as she was still ambulatory and beating me at Scrabble (former English teacher, LOL). Two days later, it was Saturday and the on-call scheduling coordinator called me as I was getting ready to go to work. I said "Mrs B just passed, didnt she?" She did, within a few minutes of 8:00.

Laura

[Roy Fokker]

Wow! I'm getting "Thin Red Line" refferences all day today!

I wondered what it'd be like when I died, to know that this was the last breath you was ever going to draw. I just hoped I could meet it with the same calm she (Mother) did. Cause that's where it's hidden. The immortality I hadn't seen.

[Marie_LPN]

It gives me the creeps when a pt. told me that. I always believed them. And when i was an aide, i would tell the nurse if a res. told me that, and they would laugh at me. Unfortunately they would be proven wrong.

And every single time the code blue alarm goes off at work, i get goosebumps.