First seizure, feelings of incompetence

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm a young lpn 6 months out of school. I work in a fast paced ltc/rehab center with 60 residents to one nurse on 11-7 (my shift). We get a lot of interesting cases and people who require a lot of care.

Last night a little after 4 a cna walked into a room as a pt was seizing, nearly out of his bed. She yelled for me, and as i was running to his room (this is the first seizure I've ever actually seen by the way) I was reviewing in my head "Okay, protect the head, make sure he's safe..." Which is what I did, I told the CNA to call the RN supervisor immediatly. But as I'm in there he was seizing for a few minutes and all i could think was "okay what now, what now?"

As he started coming out of it, he didnt appear to be breathing, which i knew was normal for at least a few seconds post seizure, but as the RN ran in, i meant to give her the information she needed but all I could say was "I...uhh....he...I dont think he's breathing!" I just panicked and felt so incompetent through this whole experience. My Rn says "he needs oxygen" and sends me for a tank, and i'm thinking "Ahh, right oxygen, i'm an idiot."

Bottom line, I know i'll get the experience through things like this. But sometimes I just feel so inadequete as a nurse, I'm on my way back to school soon for my RN.. but i just want to know, does anyone else or has anyone else ever felt this way out of school?? This feeling like yeah I'm a nurse, but sometimes I feel like i dont have a clue...

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I always feel inadequate during a seizure because there is nothing to do except protect the patient from hurting himself. You time it, you apply O2 if he's not breathing, then you document and report off.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Sounds like you did a good job to me. Nothing makes you feel more helpless than having a patient seize.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

My daughter has a seizure disorder and all I can do during her seizures is what you did. Protect her head, protect her airway (when she seizes sitting up and drops her head forward), position for safety and comfort.

Seizures can be scary things....for those watching and especially for those HAVING.

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You did great. Most seizures are self limiting but while you watch it is always scary. Oxygen will only help once he is breathing again so don't get hung up on that. If the CNA had been around for a while she could have gotten the oxygen while you stayed at the bedside. You should not leave him until another lic person gets there. So in the future you will ask the CNA to go get oxygen. Small part of the whole of what you learned. You handled the patient correctly. Give yourself a hug.

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Specializes in LTAC, Telemetry, Thoracic Surgery, ED.

You handled it perfectly.....

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the first time I saw a pt. in a diabetic coma...I was lost, another nurse got the IM Glucatol and injected it. Now I do it all the time. Welcome to our world as a nurse. You did a great job! People think we learn all we need at one time, but we don't. This is how we learn. JOB WELL DONE! Always yell for help when you need it and always ask questions. One day.....someone will be asking you for help! :)

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

My first seizure was a confused, restrained detox. I walked out so angry because I thought he had just tweaked out on me (though my head was screaming at me that something else was wrong) and I didn't realize it until my friend asked me what was wrong.

I was like "I am so $#&$ right now. My patient just like totally went red in the face and tried to grab up at me"

She laughed at me and said "I think he had a seizure"

I was mortified and felt like the worst nurse ever for about a week.

You did better than I did. At least you recognized it!!

:icon_hug:

Tait

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Well I feel a lot better. Thank you for all of your responses, sometimes I really beat myself up when I don't handle things the way I see other nurses do so. I know I have a lot to learn and with each experience, I do better the next time. But it's so hard to shake that feeling of "Duhh! think!"

It's good to know that everyone else didn't come out of school knowing exactly how to handle every situation, haha.

Thanks again!

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I hope you don't view this as hijacking your thread--

I thought in school that we were taught that when someone has a seizure they sould be placed on their side (so any drainage will trickle out of the mouth rather than be aspirated). But, anytime I have seen another nurse's patient seizing they have never placed the patient on their side and I've always wondered why.

Which is it? Should they be on their side or at least on their back in semi-fowlers or left in whatever position they are in?

Thanks

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Specializes in med-surg, telemetry,geriatrics.
I hope you don't view this as hijacking your thread--

I thought in school that we were taught that when someone has a seizure they sould be placed on their side (so any drainage will trickle out of the mouth rather than be aspirated). But, anytime I have seen another nurse's patient seizing they have never placed the patient on their side and I've always wondered why.

Which is it? Should they be on their side or at least on their back in semi-fowlers or left in whatever position they are in?

Thanks

Have you ever seen a grand mal seizure? If you have ,,,enough said..lol....I protect them from injury,,,I time the seizure...when they are post ictal...move them safely to a room with low lights check V/S check neuro checks, apply oxygen,,and notify the MD of seizure.

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Specializes in ccu cardiovascular.

I think you did fine. When you are first out of school the real world of nursing can be a scary thing but all in all you did fine. The best thing to do is protect the patient, try to time how long the seizure lasted. Our neuroligists and docs usually would like that information. Yes o2 is important if it is already at bedside if not send the cna to get what you need. Did I feel incompetent out of school, you better believe it! I remember my first code, the patient had esophageal ca and though all vitals were fine I had a gnawing feeling in my gut she was going bad. I called the residents assigned to the patient to have a look and they thought here is a new nurse paniciking with her first hard patient. I was 3 days off orientation. Well just in the middle of them yelling at me for bothering them from their sleep she codes, I had no idea what to do the nurses on the floor just treated me like I was an idiot because I did not know what to do in a code. The patient died and of course the family wanted to press charges against the hospital saying we did not respond in time. I almost quit nursing right then and there. They dropped charges after the autopsy supported our actions. I was told by my manager I did fine, but I felt like I was so stupid. I learned, grew up alot and always trust my gut no matter what the vitals, assessment tells me.

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