Complex Case Study #1
My job as a charge nurse is to make rounds visiting the patients and family. One morning in February 2010, as I was visiting with a patient, CH, I walked into her room and found her lethargic, SOB, diaphoretic and clammy. I proceeded to take her vital signs of which her temperature was 102.3, respiration 24, pulse 124, blood pressure 98/62. I was about to call an RRT but the MD arrived on the floor and was instructed to come to the patient’s ...view middle of the document...
Orders were then given by DR. T for blood cultures, CBC, CMP, IV bolus of NS, urine culture and IV Vancomycin and Cefepime. I immediately draw the cultures, labs and obtain the urine culture via straight catheter, also started the bolus infusion; other nurses pitched in to help and made the process moved faster.
The antibiotic was then given stat as ordered, after all the orders were carried out the physician thanked me very much for my quick clinical thinking of noticing that the patient was becoming septic. I realized that she was becoming septic due to her symptoms and was able to stop a situation from getting worst, the physician stated that she could have well coded. I was glad that my experience allowed me to know when to act quickly and to be calm and thoughtful in a stressful and emergent situation.
The patient and family members were very thankful and expressed how great and experience staff the hospital has. The patient was much better after receiving the medications. The rest of her hospital stay was uneventful as she continued to received IV antibiotics, she was discharged about ten days later and purposely seek me out to say thank you before going home. The team was great and this is what makes me proud to be part of 7bt.