June 14, 2026

[00:00:00]This looks scary after surgery, but it usually isn't. Let's talk about it. So, you get your patient back from surgery and all of a sudden they're shaking like crazy. Their teeth are chattering, the bed is moving, the family's staring at you, and everybody thinks something is wrong. But before you panic, take a deep breath and assess. One of the most common things you'll see after anesthesia is post-op shivering. A lot of the times anesthesia will mess with the body's ability to regulate temperature, and the body responds by shaking. And yes, it does look dramatic, but it's usually temporary. Now, don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean you ignore it. Check vital signs, check O2 sats, make sure they're maintaining their airway, and assess their temperature and overall status. And if appropriate, warm blankets are your best friend. Now, here's where NCLEX may try to get you. They'll describe a patient who's shaking uncontrollably after surgery, and students usually jump to seizure. But if your patient is awake, answering questions, following commands, and otherwise neurologically intact, you're probably looking at post-op shivering, not a seizure. So, with that being said, not everything that looks scary is an emergency. Assess first, panic later. Hey guys, I don't need you to know everything, but I do need you to be safe, prepared, and teachable.