Have you ever had that gnawing feeling that something’s not right? Your stomach twist, although there is not one particular thing that jumps out at you, or maybe several small things that ordinarily would not set anything off. This type of visceral feeling can be found at any point in your training whether a nursing student, new nurse, or a seasoned nurse. Nursing technique or skills has nothing to do with what may feel wrong or out of sorts.
A gut feeling will save someone. Imagine, your first night with a patient, and you have heard stories of anxiety and confusion at bedtime. The patient has a fever. Tylenol gave as to any patient with a temperature of 101 or higher. The patient swallows the two pills without any issues. About ten minutes later the patient is quiet and calm. That’s when something starts to twist your stomach in knots. Something is not right. You can’t quite put your finger on it. The patient is too quiet. You check in on the patient. The patient’s fingers were cold, their breathing slowed. You call for help as a few nurses come into the room. Another nurse states they heard their last breath and felt their pulse. At this point, you called a code.
Early CPR has been proven to have better outcomes for the patient. The patient was transferred to another unit.
Research studies have suggested that the use of intuition within the nursing field of practice is a critical component to clinical judgment, and decision making when confronted with a patient (Rovithis, 2005). The Dreyfus Model of skill acquisition explains the progression through five levels: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert (Pena, 2010). The model states that intuition is a milestone of becoming an expert (Pena, 2010). That intuition is a way to use both analytical and non-analytical information to form conclusions and decisions (Pena, 2010).
Always trust your gut. Even if the vitals are stable and something is not sitting right, pay attention to that. Round on your patients more. Investigate and stay vigilant. It’s always better to be safer than sorry. A gut feeling could be something as trivial to a patient in discomfort or a patient about to spiral.
References
Peña, A. (2010). The Dreyfus model of clinical problem-solving skills acquisition: A critical perspective. Medical Education Online,15(1), 4846. doi:10.3402/meo.v15i0.4846
Rovithis, M., & Parissopiulos, S. (2005). Intuition in Nursing Practice. ICUS Nurse Web Journal,(22), 1-10. Retrieved April 25, 2018.