Nurses don't save lives....WHAT?

an2on, BSN, RN · Feb 25, 2011

Absolutely! Nurses make the call!!! If a patients condition changes rapidly and you used your judgement to push that med to get that pressure up before they fall out and die then you just "saved a life"

CCL RN, RN · Feb 25, 2011

Too many to count....I'm not kidding either. Everything we do has the potential to save ives, or harm them.

I've also saved many, many doctors

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 25, 2011

Lol at saving the doctors. I have heard some Nurses state that they have had to correct the doctors' mistakes.

But seriously, I'm just really ticked off that he made such an ignorant statement. If nurses don't save lives, then what DO they do, exactly? Stand around and look pretty? I find him to be pretty argumentative (always tries to start something). If he says that again, how should I reply?

kool-aide, RN · Feb 25, 2011

Distance yourself from him. His negativity is infectious! I hope he's never my nurse someday! :eek:

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 25, 2011

Distance yourself from him. His negativity is infectious! I hope he's never my nurse someday!

My mom said the same thing when I told her that. He's delusional to think that Nurses rarely save lives, and he will be in for a shock if he does end up being a nurse.

I know this sounds bad, but I hope he doesn't get into the program. I don't want to have to deal with his smugness all the time.

kool-aide, RN · Feb 25, 2011

My mom said the same thing when I told her that. He's delusional to think that Nurses rarely save lives, and he will be in for a shock if he does end up being a nurse.
I know this sounds bad, but I hope he doesn't get into the program. I don't want to have to deal with his smugness all the time.

I don't blame you one bit! My dad is the same way. He doesn't realize what nursing really is and what a nurse's scope of practice is. He doesn't believe me when I tell him that nurses have peoples lives in their hands every day!...and he has the same know it all attitude and I can't do anything with him! lol :banghead:

TiffyRN, BSN, PhD · Feb 25, 2011

All nurses are the bedside constant assessors that are the early alert system.

But as a NICU nurse you constantly watch life ebb and flow. Those babies are always having what we call A&B spells (for apnea/bradycardia) also known as death and dying spells. Most of the time they come back but very often they require intervention from the nurse, anywhere from a gentle rub of the foot up to full-on CPR. In those cases though, without immediate intervention; some of those babies would never start breathing again.

You WILL watch babies die.

You will help many more live.

You will save some that maybe should have been let go.

PMFB-RN, RN · Feb 25, 2011

Another pre-Nursing student, who I find to be smug and abrasive, stated, "Nurses rarely save lives." ***** I wanted to slap him for making an ignorant statement.
So, is his statement true? Do Nurses "rarely" save lives? How many lives have YOU saved?

*** And this guy has formed that opinion how? Based on his many years of working as a bedside nurse in a critical care unit? More likely he has wached too much Gray's Anatomy where nurses exsist to have affiars with those wonderful residents, that is when they are not busy drilling holes in people's heads with power drills out on a pier someplace.

whiskeygirl, LPN · Feb 25, 2011

Lots of saves. It comes with the territory. Even in nursing school (practicals)!

Just relish in the fact that this guy will get knocked down a peg or two soon.

steelydanfan · Feb 25, 2011

Dr. Laura Gasparos-Vonfrolio, who is a amazing teacher/nurse advocate, had pins made up that stated "You need a nurse to save your life."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Don't want to take on THAT responsibility? Then GET OUT, NOW!

noctanol · Feb 25, 2011

Ok superhero nurses, how do you know you saved their lives, are you God or do yall have some powers that I dont to determine when one was going to die