Personal Story- Hope it gives advice to other students

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Specializes in Oncology, Cardiac.

Okay, so this happened yesterday during my Pediatrics clinicals.

My pt was a 9 month old girl who has been in the hospital for 8 months for leukemia. They weren't currently treating her for it d/t bad lungs.

Anyway, the whole day she was fine, just giggling and slobbering, only crying once while her mother and I gave her a bath. I go to take noon vitals and again, she was fine and looked fine. I leave after that for lunch. About 10-15mins into lunch a little voice in the back of my head tells me "go to the floor". I ignored it. Big mistake.

I come back and found out the girl started crashing. Her mother noticed she was shaking with chills and her skin was mottled. High temp, pulse, BP. They had her somewhat stable when I got back. I don't think people were "mad" mad, but they kept repeating things like "that's what you get for leaving". I reassured them that she was fine when i left but then they said that that's "how quick they can turn". My clinical instructor was upset b/c she thought I had not charted anything for the day (even though I had). I'm not even sure what help I would have been to everyone if I had stayed. The only thing I would know to do was to get the nurse, which the mom did anyway. What do you do in these situations?

The nurses and drs were still trying to stabilize her when I had to leave for the day, but I pray that she is ok.

My two lessons that i learned is to not leave the floor for more than 30mins and to ALWAYS listen to the little voice in the back of my head.

For others out there: ALWAYS trust your instinct!

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This is a real eye opener. Thank you for sharing this.

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Specializes in ED.
Okay, so this happened yesterday during my Pediatrics clinicals.

My pt was a 9 month old girl who has been in the hospital for 8 months for leukemia. They weren't currently treating her for it d/t bad lungs.

Anyway, the whole day she was fine, just giggling and slobbering, only crying once while her mother and I gave her a bath. I go to take noon vitals and again, she was fine and looked fine. I leave after that for lunch. About 10-15mins into lunch a little voice in the back of my head tells me "go to the floor". I ignored it. Big mistake.

I come back and found out the girl started crashing. Her mother noticed she was shaking with chills and her skin was mottled. High temp, pulse, BP. They had her somewhat stable when I got back. I don't think people were "mad" mad, but they kept repeating things like "that's what you get for leaving". I reassured them that she was fine when i left but then they said that that's "how quick they can turn". My clinical instructor was upset b/c she thought I had not charted anything for the day (even though I had). I'm not even sure what help I would have been to everyone if I had stayed. The only thing I would know to do was to get the nurse, which the mom did anyway. What do you do in these situations?

The nurses and drs were still trying to stabilize her when I had to leave for the day, but I pray that she is ok.

My two lessons that i learned is to not leave the floor for more than 30mins and to ALWAYS listen to the little voice in the back of my head.

For others out there: ALWAYS trust your instinct!

Did you report off to your instructor and nurse? If so,they can't really be mad about you leaving as you told them you were going. That is not realistic to think you will know when someone will crash. YOu need to take breaks and hand off your patients to someone else. You can't just stay every time something "might" happen.

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

even though this is a very sad situation it was a good lesson for you to learn. i never and i mean never ignore my gut feeling. i hope the little girl made it.:o

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I agree, never ignore your gut feeling.

However!

There is nothing wrong with your taking lunch! She was fine when you left her, her vitals were normal.

She was going to crash whether you were there or not. You couldn't have done any more than was done anyway.

Ease up on yourself. You do occasionally need to eat, go to the bathroom, whatever. You didn't leave in the middle of a crisis, and your leaving the floor didn't bring on the crisis. Stuff just happens.

I hope she makes it. Good luck to you too.

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I agree you should trust your instincts.

However, I had to read this post a few times, and I still can't get what you did wrong. Were you supposed to know the patient was going to crash? Or were you supposed to not take any breaks (even though she was stable)?

I think it's pretty cruel for the others to make remarks like "that's what you get for leaving". That nurse was out of line and owes you an apology, IMHO.

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My two lessons that i learned is to not leave the floor for more than 30mins and to ALWAYS listen to the little voice in the back of my head.

For others out there: ALWAYS trust your instinct!

The first thing I will say to you is that IF you go back and find that the precious little girl did not make it, DO NOT BLAME OR SECOND GUESS YOURSELF. Don't "give up" or feel you were in ANY way responsible. You are a nursing STUDENT. Had a RN been present when it happened, guess what, it would have still happened.

So, that being said, I am sorry they treated you harshly and said those things that were completely unfounded. People say irresponsible things not caring if it hurts people.

Finally, trust your gut. If your gut tells you to stay, stay...if your gut says go eat, go eat (after telling someone you are leaving the floor), if your gut tells you that you honestly did NOTHING wrong.....believe it.

Good luck

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