On my first day in the ED, I learned how much it matters to keep watching when something doesn’t seem right.
A patient’s blood pressure was falling. Even while the readings were still within an acceptable range, the trend concerned me. I brought it to my nurse’s attention, spoke up again when it continued, and took a manual reading when he asked. He immediately brought in the physician.
I was a student, and I couldn’t explain everything that was happening. I could listen, reassess, and communicate what I saw. Those are habits I want to carry into every shift as I build my experience.
A moment from my first day in the ED +
We had barely started the quarter, and I was very aware of how much I didn’t know. I was helping care for a patient receiving breathing support when I noticed she was sweating, becoming more restless, and saying something didn’t feel right.
I stayed close and watched her more carefully. Her blood pressure was falling. The first readings were still within an acceptable range, but the trend concerned me, so I brought it to my nurse’s attention. When it continued to fall, I spoke up again.
My nurse asked me to take a manual blood pressure. It was much lower. I remember looking over my shoulder and making eye contact with him. He immediately went to get the physician.
I couldn’t explain everything that was happening, and diagnosing it wasn’t my role as a student. What I could do was listen to the patient, notice a change, reassess, and speak up. That experience has stayed with me.
You don’t have to know everything to recognize that something isn’t right.
