Share your "Gut feelings...."

Editorial Team / Admin · Jul 7, 2002

Yes, I and others have had those intuitive nudges that say, "all is not well." I have a small eg: I was passing by one of the Xray rooms and got a STRONG feeling to enter, a something-is-not-right-in-this-room feeling. As I opened the door I interrupted the Xray student just beginning to open the door of the IV pump in order to free the tubing so s/he could slip the soiled gown off and a clean gown on the pt. Trouble was, the pt was receiving heparin via the pump, and would've received a large bolus of it if the tubing had been removed from the pump. Student got a little education and a strong reminder to call one of the RNs for ANY question about the IVs (reminder went out to all the staff techs too).

We have had a few pts in the last 20 years say to us, as they rolled thru the doors (all teary-eyed), "I just don't feel good about having this done today. I feel like I'm going to die." That does it for us, we cancel the case. It's usually been on an elective exam anyway, and we don't feel like tempting fate. If the pt is uncomfortable going thru the exam today, reschedule.

Have appreciated the other posts on this thread. Thanks to all.

darius000 · Jul 7, 2002

When I was an Ambulance Officer in New Zealand, I always had a feeling just prior to the alarm or phone going off. Even now as an after hours Nurse Manager in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, I still get a feeling prior to a page or phone call.

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oramar · Jul 7, 2002

My hair stands up on my neck. It is a problem because I get that reaction in the non hospital setting, sometimes I know someone is sick and they don't know they are sick, what do you do in that case?

Sleepyeyes · Jul 7, 2002

Originally posted by oramar
My hair stands up on my neck. It is a problem because I get that reaction in the non hospital setting, sometimes I know someone is sick and they don't know they are sick, what do you do in that case?

\

OOoo, that did happen to me one time. I heard a co-worker cough, and I just knew.

that's when you really hate being right.

misti_z · Jul 7, 2002

I hate the "something just isn't right' feeling, because the majority of the time, unfortunetly, we are right.

Had a code just the other night, after I had bugged the MD all night, I know something was not right......it was frequent flyer so I knew their behavior wayyyyyyyyy better than the on call MD. MD states "Ahh he's just a narcotic seeker". Finally got the unit bed I needed, but he coded (it was unsuccessful) 5 minutes later. Called the MD back to let him know.....he said, 'Well damn' :devil:

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2002

I remember one. We had a 42 yr old woman come to the ICU r/o MI b/c CCU had no beds. I hated the young ones. She had 2 PVC's that I saw in 4 hours, I said to the doc, you sure you don't want her on a lidocaine drip, I have a funny feeling about this one. He said, Over 2 PVC's??? This was about the time it was becoming out of style to NOT hang a prophylactic lido drip on q MI. But, somehoe I knew we should stick w our gut. Unfortunately, after I left, the lady went into pulseless V Tach, but was resuscitated successfully. Can't say for sure a lido drip would have prevented it, but it may have.

Had another pt, same deal, saw only a few PVC's, but had that feeling, asked for a lido drip, was denied, pt coded and died 2 hours later.

shay · Jul 7, 2002

Yup. I have a very intuitive gut. I trust it implicitly. Have learned to follow it. I believe I saw a woman on an Oprah show once who said that she believed your gut was God's way of talking to you. I believe she is correct.

bandaidexpert, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2002

I too share this "gut feeling" syndrome. Had a 96 y/o with mental status changes and increased agitation/behaviors. MD started her on Risperdal. I just knew something else was wrong. As Manager on Duty, I made the decision to send her to ER for evaluation on Thanksgiving Day. Ended up she had bilateral pathological hip fx's. Sometimes you just know.

nursekac · Jul 8, 2002

I've oriented a lot of new nursing staff. I always tell them to "trust your gut". It's kept me safe during 26 years of pscyh nursing.

labornurse · Jul 8, 2002

I can see a C-section walking down the hallway.

OBNURSEHEATHER · Jul 9, 2002

Originally posted by labornurse
I can see a C-section walking down the hallway.

They do seem to have it stamped on their foreheads in some sort of ink visible to only nurses, don't they?

Heather

sandstormsdust · Jul 9, 2002

""

quote:

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Originally posted by labornurse

I can see a C-section walking down the hallway.

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They do seem to have it stamped on their foreheads in some sort of ink visible to only nurses, don't they?

Heather""

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?????