Share your "Gut feelings...."

jschut, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2002

I can only hope and pray that I will develop these gut feelings the longer I am a nurse (graduate in 2 weeks!).

You all are awesome!

susanmary · Jul 10, 2002

You can teach nursing theory ... you can teach clinical/technical skills ... but you cannot teach "intuitive/gut" feelings. You know or you don't. I always look at the patient. You just know -- even when the labs/vitals etc. are ok. On the other hand, the labs/vitals aren't wonderful -- but you look at the patient & know they are ok. You can't teach it ... but you can feel it. Intensely. Sure -- docs like data -- I even like data -- but there are times when the data just doesn't tell the story -- know what I mean?

mattsmom81 · Jul 10, 2002

I remember in the ER one evening a child came in...had fallen off his bike and banged up, bruised.... doc stitched him up in a few places.

The doc wanted to turf him but he had a small belly bruise and 'the little voice' told me to keep him another hour or so to observe..... and I insisted on keeping him despite the snide comments of the doc...and the impatience of family....

Sure enough....ruptured spleen and to emergency OR. He did fine. :)

Another: I was working at an amusement park when a mom brought her infant in...she thought a bee had bitten him.....so she brought him in for some disinfectant and a cold pak.. As I watched him, nothing stood out but I 'had the feeling' so asked her to wait here with me awhile with the baby....and I quietly called her pedi doc for the correct dose of EPI and a verbal order....sure enough, anaphylaxis sx soon followed, but responded quickly to the epi...the doc stayed on the phone with me until baby was fine...I sent her to the docs office afterwards for instructions and a supply of epi pens for her.:)

Kinda scary for me as I'm not a pedi nurse perse...just going by my basic training and guts...it will get us through many tough situations!

We don't always get thanked for these things...docs may take the credit..... but it's an amazing feeling to me to know God gave me a gift so I could become a NURSE and save a life...it's NOT just the docs who do this. :)

Hugs to all the great nurses who save lives and comfort the injured, and improve the health of others EVERY DAY!!!

OzNurse69 · Jul 10, 2002

When my son was 3yo I had a feeling there was something wrong - but nothing specific, you know that vague, can't quite put your finger on it feeling? Anyway we lived quite a way out of town, so bundled him & the baby into the car & headed for the ED, all the way trying to work out in my mind what I was going to say to justify bringing in a perfectly healthy child! Blow me down if 5 min. outside the hospital he started fitting - 2 day stay in hosp, EEG & CT scan later, I still can't place what I thought was wrong.

KaraLea, LVN · Jul 10, 2002

Originally posted by OzNurse69
When my son was 3yo I had a feeling there was something wrong - but nothing specific, you know that vague, can't quite put your finger on it feeling? Anyway we lived quite a way out of town, so bundled him & the baby into the car & headed for the ED, all the way trying to work out in my mind what I was going to say to justify bringing in a perfectly healthy child! Blow me down if 5 min. outside the hospital he started fitting - 2 day stay in hosp, EEG & CT scan later, I still can't place what I thought was wrong.

This is not a fair example though...You are not just a NURSE, but a MOTHER as well, which has the better sixth sense? :confused:

:kiss :roll :kiss

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2002

Howdy Yall

from deep in the heart of texas

always go with your gut or intuition, or whatever you call it. It is based on past knowledge you have obtained that you just dont recognize off hand

MollyMo · Jul 19, 2002

I was working on a transplant unit-liver, kidney and kidney/pancreas. One of the patients was being monitored. I was walking past the monitor and something caught my eye, I'm not sure what. I asked the unit secretary who had the patient. He told me just as that nurse was walking past. I asked her was the patient a full code. She said yes. I said go check the patient. She ran to the room, then yelled. We coded the patient. It looked like sinus rhythm on the monitor, but the patient was in PEA. To this day I still don't know what I saw that alerted me. :eek:

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2002

I've always been good at "smelling" sepsis a mile away. I wish I was more intuitive.

I was charge on a tele floor once and night shift used both code carts and left them. I was up everyones a$$ to replace 'em STAT. They all thought I was a b!@#$ until we had a code minutes after they were replaced. :eek

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2002

Originally posted by sandstormsdust
""
quote:
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Originally posted by labornurse
I can see a C-section walking down the hallway.
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What are you gals see that say c/s??? The lack of confi. or to much... the type of girl / guy(as in pressure her to get it over with) .... WHAT are you saying you see?????

Yes ladies, do tell!

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2002

Originally posted by mattsmom81
I I was working at an amusement park when a mom brought her infant in...

Good call! But where does one get a cool job like this and why did you leave??!!

Jas honey · Jul 19, 2002

Originally posted by LasVegasRN
I was at a doctor's office with a work comp patient. The ortho doc came in and, I know this sounds freaky, but just for a quick instant, I saw him laying in a casket with his hands folded over his chest, wearing a dark navy blue suit. While he was writing in the patient's chart, I just remembered thinking to myself, he is not going to be here tomorrow.
He died that evening.

OMG this gave me goosebumps the size of marbles or something.....how freaky for sure!!!!

:eek:

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Jul 20, 2002

Howdy Yall

from deep in the heart of texas

WOWSA