Who is the "witch" on your unit?

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Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

i am the person on our unit who always "feels" when a pt is going to come in. this drives everyone nuts, but it has happened often enough so they know when to listen. i can't fine tune the sense, but every so often i will just suggest they need to set a table because we are going to get a pt or two. it rarely fails. i am usually right, however, i can't seem to fine tune that sixth sense to include the lottery or any other facet of my life, although my husband will start to say something and i will get a flash of what he was going to say and repeat it exactly to him. it freaks us both out. even the doctors have learned to l"listen: to my sixth sense. i simply can't explain it. are any of you known for that sort of sixth sense, or know someone you work with who is? i can't be the only "witch" out there.....:)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am fairly good at predicting csections VERY early on...it's a gut feeling that only sharpens w/time. I also can predict often when a poor outcome is coming and get apprehensive....I hate it. there are MANY times, when I actually picture a coworker calling me to see if I can work that night....and then the phone rings within minutes. I also HATE this......cause I know a call is coming...sometimes I just wanna run away. ;)

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on my unit it is I who am the "witch":) I usually can tell when patients are coming, predicting c/s, and problems. I have had labor pt where i just had that feeling something was going to go wrong. when i get that feeling i start gathering supplies and assistance just in case,and am almost always correct. I can also get the feelings at home that i am needed and with in a short time the phone will ring.

the other problem i have and get teased about often is that patients seem to follow me in to work. I walk through the door and patients start coming in. I can not remember the last slow night at work i had.:)

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I know I am going to have a bad night at work when I'm driving to work and "Highway to Hell" (AC/DC) is playing on the radio. I have started playing CDs to avoid hearing it.

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I guess you better not ride to work with me:) i play that all the time.

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Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

See, I just KNEW I wasn't the only one out there...:)

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of course not,you are not alone :)

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Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

I think that is pretty neat.....Wish I could fine tune it for the lottery though.....

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I hear there are similar such "witches" in the ER's and ICU's as well as paramedic and EMT's who have such "talents"...I am sure it comes with experience, and listening to that "gut feeling" that we all have and knowing it for what it is.

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That person would be ME on our unit. LOL. I can sense when something's going to go wrong, and tell you what it is (prolapse, mec, etc.). Hey, I appreciate it. I'm anal as hell and like having a little advanced warning to get my specific emergency equipment at the ready.

Yeah, I've been wrong a few times, but not many.

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Originally posted by shay

Yeah, I've been wrong a few times, but not many.

Better to be wrong and have everything prepared, than have something wrong and not be prepared.

Kris

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Yup, I just know when I get report on a stable patient and I get a feeling that they are going to crash, I set the room up, get A-line kit, CVP line ready and sure enough before my shift is over the pt. has new lines and is on pressors. I guess we are just intuned to our specialized units, it is a second nature thing I think.

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