In the intensive care unit, a nurse reviewing a patient's chart before administering medication noticed a subtle discrepancy in the dosage. A quick cross-reference with the patient's renal function revealed a potential error that could have harmed the patient. The medication was adjusted, averting a possible adverse event. This incident, often perceived as a "lucky catch," prompts reflection on the nature of such occurrences.
The perception of "luck" in nursing is frequently attributed to psychological factors, cognitive biases, probability, and developed intuition rather than purely random events.
This article will examine the psychology of luck, the influence of cognitive biases and probability, the role of pattern recognition, the development of intuition, and real-life nursing scenarios to understand the mechanisms underlying these seemingly fortunate moments.
The Psychology of Luck: More Than Just Chance
Perceived luck goes beyond random chance. It is the subjective interpretation of events as favorable, even when their occurrence might be statistically probable.
A positive mindset can lead individuals to notice and interpret events as beneficial. This attention contributes to the feeling of being "lucky."
We often try to understand why things happen. Attribution theory helps explain this. If a nurse thinks a good outcome happened because of their skills, that's internal attribution. If they think it was just luck, that's external attribution. Nurses who attribute successful interventions to their skill and knowledge are likelier to perceive a sense of control and competence.
The Role of Optimism:
Optimistic individuals tend to perceive a wider range of opportunities as "lucky," fostering a proactive approach to problem-solving. Optimism contributes to resilience in nursing, enabling nurses to maintain composure and effectiveness in challenging situations.
The perception of a lucky moment can provide a significant psychological boost, enhancing confidence and mitigating stress. This can positively influence subsequent performance and decision-making.
Cognitive Biases and Probability: The Illusion of Luck
Cognitive biases are systematic errors in thinking that affect decision-making and judgment. They can distort the perception of events and create an illusion of luck. There are many different types of cognitive biases.
Confirmation Bias:
This bias leads individuals to seek and interpret information that confirms preexisting beliefs. In nursing, this can manifest as selectively remembering successful interventions while overlooking less favorable outcomes, reinforcing the perception of frequent "lucky" moments.
Availability Heuristic:
This bias causes individuals to overestimate the likelihood of easily recalled events. Dramatic or memorable "lucky" saves are more readily available in memory, leading to an inflated perception of their frequency.
Hindsight Bias:
This "I knew it all along" bias makes past events seem more predictable than they were. In nursing, this can lead to overestimating the predictability of patient outcomes, diminishing the perception of chance.
Optimism Bias:
This bias is the tendency to believe one is less likely to experience a negative event. This can cause a nurse to underestimate the probability of an adverse patient outcome while overestimating the probability of a positive one.
Probability and Statistical Anomalies:
Due to the sheer volume of events encountered in nursing, seemingly improbable events can occur. Statistical anomalies become more noticeable in this high-frequency environment. Despite the inherent risks in healthcare, favorable patient outcomes are statistically more probable than extremely adverse events.
Pattern Recognition: Finding Meaning in Randomness
The brain is wired to detect patterns, even in random data. This tendency can lead to the perception of meaningful connections where none exist. Pareidolia involves perceiving familiar patterns, such as faces, in random stimuli. Apophenia is the tendency to find meaningful connections in unrelated data.
Nursing experience enhances the ability to recognize subtle patterns in patient data, leading to faster and more accurate diagnoses and interventions. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the potential for false pattern recognition, as it can lead to misdiagnosis or inappropriate interventions.
Real-Life Nursing Stories: Where "Luck" Seems to Intervene
A. Story 1: The Timely Catch by Alyssa Warner MSN, RN: I received a new patient that came out of a foot surgery. They had Tylenol (acetaminophen) ordered for pain management on the records. Reviewing the patients chart, I realized that the patient had a chronic liver condition. A new graduate I was training was about to provide the patient with the prescribed pain medication. I intervened and we notified the physician about the patient's condition and received a different order for pain management.
B. Story 2: The Wrong Side by Krista Lowenhagen RN: As a circulating nurse, I was preparing for a hip case on the peg board. The patient was positioned and everything was ready to prepare the sterile field. I cracked the Chloraprep and noticed there was no marking on the patient's leg or hip. We were positioned for the wrong hip. The doctor wasn't in the room and we caught it before we started. Using the appropriate checks we mitigated a potential wrong side surgery.
C. Story 3: Saving Veterans' Lives by Albert Balingit MSN, PMHNP, RN: 14 months ago, I was given a great opportunity to learn how to perform repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) treatments. RTMS treatments are an effective, non-invasive treatment for Veterans that struggle with depression and have failed anti-depressant medications. It has been a great experience treating Veterans with rTMS treatments, since my partner and I have built professional relationships with the hundred Veterans we have treated. rTMS treatment has been 70-75% effective by helping improve the Veteran's depression and overall mood and thus decreasing and possibly preventing the Veterans from having SI thoughts. This is why I love my job at the PHX VA.
Perceived luck in nursing is often the result of a complex interplay of psychological factors, cognitive biases, probability, pattern recognition, and developed intuition.
Nursing is a profession that demands skill, diligence, and adaptability. While perceived "lucky" moments may occur, they are often the result of a complex interaction between a nurse's skill and human perception. The rewarding nature of nursing is found in the ability to provide care. Do you have a lucky moment you want to share?
About the Author:
Breann Kakacek, BSN, RN, has been a registered nurse since 2015 and a CNA prior to that for two years while going through the nursing program. Most of her nursing years included working in the medical ICU, cardiovascular ICU, and the OR as a circulating nurse. She has always had a passion for writing and enjoys using her nursing knowledge to create unique online content. You can learn more about her writing career and services at ghostnursewriter.com
Breann is an independent contributor to CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program. Please note that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely of the independent contributor and do not necessarily represent those of CEUfast. This blog post is not medical advice. Always consult with your personal healthcare provider for any health-related questions or concerns.
If you want to learn more about CEUfast's Nursing Blog Program or would like to submit a blog post for consideration, please visit https://ceufast.com/blog/submissions.
