Stories of your critical patients

LouisVRN, RN · May 8, 2010

New grad working on a med/surg floor and haven't seen patients' who are critically ill. I'm interested in critical care for the future. Anyone want to share their stories about their patients' and what you've done to help? I'm excited to hear about it!

As far as what you will see as far as critical patients on a med surg floor?

Let's see, I've been a nurse for 2 years on a busy med/surg floor the most critical patients I have seen that I can remember were....

s/p rupture of ectopic pregnancy, young healthy woman with h/x of miscarriages, she was rushed to the OR and given several units of untyped blood, arrived on the floor after having a hysterectomy still receiving blood. Just very careful monitoring and assessing.

Woman in adrenal crisis after hitting her head and having a brain hemorrhage, bps in the thirties over teens/twenties. Slowly gave fluids/pressors and corticosteroids, and kept HOB elevated.

Several actively septic patients - start broad spectrum antibiotics and fluid resuscitation.

Acute onset of respiratory distress is always interesting as you try to maintain sats with whatever possible (lasix, nasopharyngeal suctioning, breathing treatments, non-rebreathers) while trying to figure out the cause.

I've been fortunate in that I've ever had to code a patient on the floor and have only had 2-3 critical responses, all have been for respiratory issues and they have all been transfered off the floor very quickly.

Some of the more interesting ones I've seen but not been directly involved in were a patient bleeding out post lap- appy/chole, forcing iv fluids in and running them back to OR. young chole/appy patient so actively septic we could not get a bp and she was shaking so badly it looked like she was seizing. Patient having an MI on the floor after ortho surgery.