The weirdness of taking Vitals Signs.

[StanleyNickels]

Hey everybody, I've been a CNA for a year now and every time I take a patient's resp, Its the weirdest thing ever. Standing there quietly, looking at somebody's chest is just weird!! So, tell me your weird experiences at work and how you take your patients VS.

[Jen Peters]

I am visually impaired, so I usually put my hand on a patient's back to feel for the rise and fall. When I'm taking a radial pulse, I count the patient's pulse for 30 seconds and resperations for 30 multiply both by 2.

Here's a quick tip for taking a patient's pulse that I leader from my teacher: use your middle and ring fingers to take a pt's radial pulse. You use your index finger more than you do your middle and ring fingers, so your middle and ring fingers are more sensitive to touch.

Also, if at all possible, take your patients' pulse and BP on the left side. It is a lot easier to hear when taking a manual BP.

Good luck!