You Know the patient is going bad when...

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You know the patient is going bad when their PA pressure is higher than their blood pressure (Pt quickly coded and died)

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the OR team is pushing the post-op patient's bed down the hall towards your unit at twice their usual speed.

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Specializes in subacute/ltc.

I'm surprised this one hasn't popped up...You get called in the room to help transfer a patient, in mid transfer, pt grabs left side of chest, gasps and goes slack....

Me to the aide....Hey hon pic up the phone dial 911....(while I start CPR)

Tres

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.
the OR team is pushing the post-op patient's bed down the hall towards your unit at twice their usual speed.

Hey, ya'll quit talking about me...........

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Specializes in NICU.

This wasn't my pt but happened yesterday.... Change of shift.. pt on tube feedings... Nurse walks in room.. Pt unresponsive and limp... Lungs sound terrible... Page respiratory stat. Call rapid response.. NT suction and remove nothing but tons of light brown "secretions" or tube feeding really...... Pt died 2 hours later in ICU

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Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.
The patient says "I'm going to die. I'm going to die!" and looks like they mean it.

My standard reply when someone tells me they are going to die:

"Not on my shift"

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even after working in hospice for 12 yrs, i'm always amazed when pts know when their time is up.

leslie

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Specializes in Cath lab, EP lab, CTICU.

when they order a rotoprone bed for your patient.

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Any report begins; "I'm really sorry about this..."

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

on a terribly busy short-staffed night shift in the PICU at a level one trauma center (while I'm in charge AND the most "senior" nurse there with my 3 years of experience...)

an outside hospital calls about an intubated 7 year old with pneumonia and their helicopter (not our life flight) literally rolls up to the door with the patient with o2 sats of 76% on 100% FI02 and say "oh, yeah thats the best hes really been the whole flight.":bluecry1:

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Specializes in Mursing.

the OR team is pushing the post-op patient's bed down the hall towards your unit at twice their usual speed.

Oh, dear. lol

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

When I was a brand-new nurse, I came on shift just after a code in which the pt (an elderly man) told his nurse, "I'm going home." She was very sweet but not known for being the brightest star in the sky; she responds, "I don't think so, Mr. X. You're going to be here for a few more days." Him: "I SAID, I'm going HOME." Couple minutes later: "SOMEBODY GET THE CRASH CART!"

Anytime a sick person talks about going home, my code radar twitches.

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the OR team is pushing the post-op patient's bed down the hall towards your unit at twice their usual speed.

>

Or they karate kick open the door to the pacu pushing the bed at warp speed, then look around shiftily and say: "um, here you go, he's not doing so well"

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