Which patient do i see first

[Godsfavor]

Any idea on how to choose which patient to see first. I am using Kaplan and Lacharity book(Delegation,Assessment,and Prioritization).

[oncom10]

always attend the most unstable patient.

[mosaicism105, MSN]

acute vs chronic

stable vs unstable

Maslow's

[chillin4me]

ABC

[3dayRN]

I always see the most unstable patient first. Or if I have the same group of patients I had the night before ,but only one new one, then I see that patient first. Now, I will have to say if I hear in report that a patient has rude family members and they are still visiting then I will see that patient last and by the time I get to them visiting hours are over :)

[Godsfavor]

Thanks i am doing the prioritization book by Lacharity, Kaplan course and Saunders. I just wanted to know if there is any particular order. Most time the questions will have two unstable/chronic answers, Two answers are easy to eliminate. i have seen a post somewhere here about red tag (meaning most unstable),blue tag, i tried to research it but couldn't find it.

[mosaicism105, MSN]

who's going to see st. peter first...lols those are the one's you got to attend first.

[FocusRN]

The pt whose present condition could result in death NOW. Example Fluid volume deficit vs Excruciating pain vs Hypoxia.

Hypoxia

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

which one is the most unstable...think which one is going to die the quickest.

[missmun52]

The most unstable....think to yourself if I see this one first will the other one die, if I see the other one first will this one die or suffer major irreversible damage...

Also think is the patient stable even though he has/or is in due to a serious condition...

Always choose the most unstable and remember ABC

[caliotter3]

If one person would die waiting while you are seeing the less critical patients, then that is the one you should be seeing first. Go with ABCs as a rule of thumb.

[Rajah_reji]

you have to know first the concept, theory involved in emergency nursing, in most cases, nurse should be aware of the principles involved in ABC (airway, breathing, cirrc) to know which comes first, if not you can also use maslow's heirarchy of needs. for unstable you can relate it to ABC's.