On this particular evening, this nurse was working as our admission RN, and his high level of nursing assessment skills and critical, fast thinking abilities saved a man’s life. A new patient was being admitted by ambulance from a local hospital. Seeing the man on the stretcher, this nurse was immediately aware that something was not right with the patient. He got the man on the bed and began his assessment. What he found was a man whose skin was burning to the touch, he had a swollen and hot left forearm, his respirations were rapid and shallow, his heart rate fluctuated in the high 120’s to 130’s, and he had an oral temperature of 103 degrees and climbing. The patient was heading into septic shock, and this nurse had to act fast. The EMS crew was gone by this time, so he had a fellow RN call for an ambulance while he called the Internal Medicine NP. An IV line was placed for safety reasons, and this nurse stayed at the bedside to continuously monitor this new patient, who was obviously sick. Within 25 minutes of arrival, the patient was on his way back to the hospital's ED. He was quickly admitted, and fluid resuscitation and IV antibiotics were started. His condition remains guarded but stabilized. If this nurse had not been there when the patient rolled off the elevator, he very well could have been in worse condition today.